


Bringing Back the Memories

by princee_ace



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 20:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17835314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princee_ace/pseuds/princee_ace
Summary: Sometimes the very thing you're looking for is right under your nose.|| Sora/OC (You) & Roxas/OC (You) ||





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory...  
> A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream...  
> I want to line the pieces up ... yours and mine.

Your dreams. They always start like this.

A city of white buildings, standing mountain-high on a giant body of water. Warm sunlight glimmers against the gold paint and the flagstone pavements. It draws your attention to the water’s surface.

In the reflection, you see a grand clock tower from another place. _Another world_.

Suddenly, the skies turn dark and the mirror world cracks. And you’re falling.

Gravity pulls you downward. You helplessly reach out to the vanishing city above as shadowy forces consume and obliterate it. But it’s gone, and the warm sunlight you felt before surrounds you –- protects you -- as you dive head-first into the open sea.

Sky becomes water, but it doesn’t hurt you. It doesn’t scare you.

Weightlessness. _Nothingness_.

As you slowly drift downward, you turn your gaze toward the sky. Sunlight glimmers above you still, even when you’re surrounded by so much darkness.

Eventually, your feet touch something solid on the ocean’s floor. White sand, you think, until you take a step forward. Then, the bottom of the ocean transforms into a flock of white doves who take shape and fly off toward the watery horizon.

It’s a breathtaking sight as they distance themselves, almost like stars in the skies.

From an aerial view, you realize you’re standing on a circular stage. Colorful stained-glass depicts an image of giant double doors. They’re tall and white, and sit at the peak of a grey, winding road. Perhaps, these doors will lead you somewhere.

As you take a closer look, you realize there’s a piece missing. A fragment leaves a glaring hole on the white doors, making it incomplete.

Whispers of an unseen, ambiguous voice echo around you. Almost like a collection of several voices with none overpowering another, yet their message is unanimously clear: believe in yourself and follow the light.

But … what _is_ this “light” anyway? And to whom do these voices belong to?

A treasure box suddenly appears on the other side of the stage. You run toward it, but quickly realize that it’s locked. You look over your shoulder, hoping to find something that will open it.

Instead, you see three different colored crystals floating in midair.

The first is red: the power of the warrior. Invincible courage and terrible destruction.

The second is blue: the power of the mystic. Inner strength, wonders, and ruins.

The third is green: the power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends, and like a shield to repel all.

**_Power sleeps within you … Believe in yourself, and it will be your guide…_ **

Each path –- each crystal before you –- carries a certain strength and weight: valor and wreckage, knowledge and burden, protection and sacrifice. Their words encourage you to pick wisely.

You choose one, and when you’re certain of your decision, it immediately turns into a glowing key. As you hold it in the palm of your hand, you feel its power flow within you. By the time you reach the treasure chest, the weapon dulled down into a small, iron key. One that perfectly fits the chest’s keyhole.

Once unlocked, a clear heart-shaped container is released. It floats above your head and lands on where the missing fragment of the ground is, completing the puzzle at last.

The entire stage glows brightly, surrounding you with light. Then, _they_ arrive.

Monsters sprout from the darkness – creatures born from the shadows with sharp claws and ink-black skin. They crawl closer to you, moving in a rigid, unnatural manner. Their beady, yellow eyes petrify you; their blood-lust overwhelms you.

You’re terrified.

As if sensing your fear, a flash of light appears before you. In place of the small treasure key is a white, key-shaped sword. A mighty weapon full of power and magic.

**_Use this…_ **

And you do. With both hands on the handle, you strike.

Courage and destruction. Wisdom and ruin. Defense and self-sacrifice.

Relentlessly, you attack the monsters one-by-one until they disappear. Every few swings eventually kills one off, but for each one you defeat, two more seem to take its place.

Exhausted, you lean against your new weapon and try to catch your breath. Dismay sinks in your heart when you hear them shifting and multiplying. There’s no end to it…!

They have you surrounded and they’re closing in fast. Their claws are out, ready to strike!

Tightening your hold around your weapon, you brace yourself for the pain…

…but it never comes.

Cautiously, you open one eye. Then, you open both and blink in surprise.

Shape-shifting creatures in white suits are attacking the shadow monsters. For a moment, you watch in awe as they fluidly dance in the air and gracefully hit the erratic shadows with its long limbs. Beyond them, standing on the edges of the stage, are similar creatures of a higher rank: ones with cylindrical heads and robe-like jumpsuits. They draw their swords to finish the last of the shadows in quick, precise movements.

You’d think they’re protecting you as the higher-ranking creatures sheath their weapons and seem disinterested in harming you. But a nervous pit in your stomach tells you otherwise. They’re just as dangerous, and maybe even more-so than the shadow beings that appeared before them.

**_Be careful…_ **

Again, they whisper … but you take heed of their warning. Your fingers clench tightly around the handle of your key-shaped weapon once more. Adrenaline pulses through your veins as the lower-ranking white-suits face you and roll their bodies toward you. Positioning yourself, you prepare to attack.

Suddenly, a blinding, white flash invades your vision and eliminates everything. You shut your eyes tightly and block your face, but its intensity doesn’t lessen. Forcing your eyes open, you try to see where it’s coming from.

Toward the light stands a silhouette of a young boy at the peak of a curvy, rocky path. He has his back turned toward you, and in his hand is another key-shaped weapon -– much like the one you’re carrying with you. Before him, a pair of white double-doors are slowly opening. One that looks like the doors on the circular stage!

Maybe _he_ knows what’s going on!

Spiraling glass steps appear one by one, leading you straight toward the boy. The harsh light hurts less now, and instead feels warm and welcoming like the sunlight you’ve felt before. Your goal is before you, and without hesitation, you run.

As you bring your feet up the windy path, you begin to realize he’s around your age. He stands about a head taller than you and has a thin but muscular built. The closer you get to him, the clearer his visuals become. Chestnut-brown, spiky hair; baggy black shorts with yellow belts and a matching black jacket with silver shoulder-guards; big hands and feet.

Somehow, it feels like you’ve seen him somewhere before…

His lips move and you hear his voice. It’s distinctively different from the ones you’ve been hearing in your head. Yet, even from where you stand, close enough to hear him clearly, he still sounds so far away.

“Haruna…”

Your body tenses. “H-How do you know my name?”

He turns to face you, but the light from the doors is still too strong for you to properly see his face. Long bangs cast a shadow over his eyes, but you see his smile. It brings a strange feeling of sanctuary. An emotion that quickly heighten to panic as something catches the corner of your eye.

Beyond the doors of light is an overwhelming amount of those shadow creatures, but they’ve evolved.

Towering over you are ones with human-like forms: they have tentacle antennas around their head like hair, and the shape of a massive heart carved from their chests. Another type are veiny, circular creatures that erratically move in unpredictable patterns. Some are dewdrop-shaped with bat wings, some human-like shapes with wings and swords, and some are gigantic versions of the shadow-monsters you saw earlier.

They stand still, waiting and watching and fidgeting like they want to move, but they _don’t_ –- or rather, they _can’t_.

It’s as if something or _someone_ is forcing them to stay back. And as you look back at the boy in front of you, he suddenly makes you feel very nervous.

**_Don’t be afraid…_ **

That’s right. No time to be scared.

He doesn’t seem anxious about the number of enemies surrounding you, but he might be a person who needs your help.

In a stronger voice, you ask him, “Who are you?”

He doesn’t hear you. Instead, he says your name again … over and over. And each time, it sounds like his voice is fading further and further away.

To your despair, you see why. _He_ is fading, dissolving before your eyes as the door continues to open wider and wider. The light consuming everything in sight.

Desperately, you yell, “Wait! Tell me your name! Who are you?”

But his only answer is your name once more … louder this time. Instead of slipping away, it’s almost screaming into your ears.

**“HARUNA!!”**


	2. Case of the --- Thief!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A picture is worth a thousand words.

Twirling gently are the fan blades above you. For a moment, you watch as they slowly spin, circulating the air around the room.  _Your_ room, you realize.

Across the foot of your twin-sized bed is a small work space. At the beginning of your summer vacation, you unceremoniously dumped your school bag and homework over the wooden desk and haven’t bothered to touch it since. The silent alarm on your nightstand is a welcoming reminder that you don’t have to rise early for your classes.

Fairy lights decorate the walls and shelves of your room, illuminating a white glow when they’re turned on. They cast shadows on the many trinkets you’ve collected, including seashells from the beach, a small jar of winning ice cream sticks, and a yellow star-shaped charm. Posters and captured memories are meticulously placed to cover the empty spaces in your room, and a sense of pride fills you each time you gaze upon some of your favorite ones.

To your right is a closet and a door exiting the room. To your left is a small bookcase full of picture albums, scrapbooks, and fairy tales you’ve kept as a child. Just above that is a large window that overlooks your humble hometown and its beautiful, unchanging skies.

Nothing’s changed. Everything is right where you remember it.

You almost laugh at how odd that thought strikes you. Of  _course_ everything’s the same! You haven’t gone anywhere, and yet … it feels good to be surrounded by anything but blank spaces and endless shadows.

_Is it … because of that dream?_

You’ve been having them for a while now. Each time you fall asleep, they become more vivid. More real. So much so, you physically feel tired even after you wake up.

The last thing you remember is falling into an ocean. You heard voices, but you forgot what they said. You felt scared too, but you can’t recall why. 

And then, there was … a boy.

You feel like you know him, but you don’t know his name or what he really looks like. He’s like a distant memory; familiar, but unable to grasp.

But … you do remember one thing. The last thing he said to you. He called out your–

“Haruna!”

Turning your head to the source, you realize someone  _is_  calling for you. Jumping to your feet, you walk toward the window and open it. Hot and humid air streams into your bedroom as you peer down from the second floor.

Standing on the street is one of your best friends. He’s stepping on the end of his black and white skateboard, lifting the front wheels off the ground. His side-swept brownish-blond hair vaguely remind you of dandelions and his eyes match the bluest skies.

“About time!” He smiles at you in a way that catches your breath.

Heat rises from your cheeks, and a bit flustered, you reply, “Hey, I’ll be right down!”

With that said, you shut the window and get ready for the day. Not long after, you’re out the door and run where he’s been patiently waiting for you.

“Good morning, Haruna.”

“Sorry, Roxas. I can’t believe I overslept!”

“I figured as much. That’s why I came to get you.” He chuckles and playfully pokes your forehead. Another flash of his killer smile makes your heart flutter in a frenzy. Though, you try to push that bubbling feeling away as you lightly punch him back.

Roxas … he’s your friend. Your clumsy, unlucky, awkward bonehead of a best friend.

You can’t remember when or where you guys met, but he’s always been part of your group. He’s the quiet one, dressed in neutral colors as if he goes out of his way not to stand out. Not that Roxas is a guy you could easily overlook.

_To you, Roxas is…_

A wave of emotion hits you. Relief, you think. Maybe joy or awe.

Whatever you’re feeling, it causes a tear to roll down your cheek. Roxas looks alarmed as he catches the tear with his thumb. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m … happy to see you, Roxas.”

His worried face changes to a look of surprise. Suddenly, he laughs as his thumb strokes your cheek. Teasingly, he says, “Don’t worry. We still have a whole week of summer vacation to spend with each other.”

You sniffle and nod your head. He’s right. You need to pull yourself together.

In the distance, the bells from the town’s clock tower rings out the time for a world whose skies are frozen in twilight. Counting the tolls, you’re certain your other friends are already waiting for you two to meet with them.

“Come on, Roxas!” you shout, already taking off by foot.

He smiles and follows after you, carrying his skateboard. “Maybe today, we’ll finally hit the beach!”

You hope he’s right. There’s only seven more days until your summer vacation is over, after all.

Behind you, a ghostly creature swims in the air. Its strange arms pry open your closed bedroom window and slips inside.

-*-

_A bright light._

_It’s overwhelming as it engulfs everything in the room, making its colors vanish to white. The core of it all floats closer to you, as if in search of a vessel – in search of your body._

_The moment it connects to your chest, you feel a surge of warmth and power within you. Piercing into your being – into your heart – its energy and wisdom and strength becomes you._

_But it’s too much for your small body to handle._

_Darkness lingers in the corners of your eyes; the shadows spreading as you begin to lose consciousness. Then, an ambiguous voice reaches your ears for the first time._

“Thank you.”

-*-

Behind the wire gate in the Back Alley is a little storage room where you and your friends like to hang out. It’s not anything impressive. Despite the rusty old pipes, empty wooden crates, and the deafening sounds of oncoming trains from the tracks above you, it’s become like a second home to you. This, to you and your friends, is the Usual Spot.

Everyday without fail, the five of you would meet here: you, Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas. Usually in good spirits, but today seems to be an exception.

As you and Roxas pass through the curtained entrance, you see the rest of the group is already at their designated spots.

Hayner – a boy with slicked-back, wavy blond hair and hazel eyes – is fuming on top of the rusty pipes. He wears an x-shaped necklace and an olive-green vest over his black skull top, and his cargo pants and shoes are matching green camouflage. In a way, he’s like the leader of your group. And while he can certainly be stubborn and hot-headed, he’s also your childhood friend and like a brother to you. The two of you practically grew up together since you were babies.

Pence, a chubbier and shorter boy, sits on an empty crate in the corner of the room. He wears a grey headband to keep his long jet-black hair from falling over his brown eyes. The accessory most-likely a DOGSTREET brand, much like the red jersey he wears over his white shirt, his baggy jeans, and even the purple bandanna tied around his neck. Years ago, you and Hayner stood up against some bullies that were picking on him at school, and Pence has become one of your closest friends since. He loves mysteries and the paranormal, and shares your hobby and passion for photography.

Olette, the only other girl in your group, notices your arrival and pats the seat next to her on the worn-out green couch. She has long, choppy brown hair and green eyes like emeralds. Her entire attire is bright and sunny, from her favorite orange camisole with the four-leaf clover pattern to her khaki pants. Out of the five of you, she’s the most diligent and responsible, and is often the mom-friend of the group. You’re one of the first friends she made when she first moved to Twilight Town, and she quickly befriended Hayner and Pence the more you all hung out.

“What’s going on?” you ask, taking a seat next to Olette. Surely, something must’ve happened by the looks on their faces.

An agitated Hayner twitches, barely able to keep himself from imploding. “We’re talking about the false accusations.”

“False accusations?” you repeat, looking at Pence and Olette for help.

“The stuff that’s been missing around town, remember?” Pence offers, but it leaves you even more confused. Twilight Town has always been very peaceful, save for whatever trouble Hayner drags you and the others into.

Olette explains that lately, there’s been a sudden rise in theft. People have been complaining that precious, irreplaceable things have vanished before their eyes, and it seems you and your friends are the top suspects.

Only then, the reason for Hayner’s anger clicks.

“Wait,  _we’re_  being blamed for that?”

“That’s what I’m saying!” he suddenly shouts, raising his fists to the air. He shares a long-winded story of how he was followed around like some hoodlum at one of the shops this morning, and all the snide remarks and accusing glares he’s met with the townsfolk all day. “Man, doesn’t it tick you off?”

“Yeah, that’s just wrong,” Pence agrees, shaking his head.

“Seifer’s gone too far this time,” Olette adds with a frown.

You wouldn’t be surprised at all if Seifer and his gang are the ones pinning the blame on you and your friends for the theft. Seifer is the leader of the town’s Disciplinary Committee, though you’re pretty sure he’s just using it as an excuse to hound you all. Once upon a time, he and Hayner used to be friends. Now, there’s bad blood between the two since he started up that committee and began hanging out with his lackeys: Rai, Fuu, and sometimes Vivi.

With everyone voicing their opinions, all eyes turn to Roxas. He sits to your left, silently brooding on an empty crate. It’s obvious he isn’t paying attention at all.

“Earth to Roxas! You listening?!” Hayner yells as his irritation shoots up drastically. Startled, Roxas snaps out of it and firmly nods his head. It’s too late, though. Hayner is already riled up and on his feet, looking ready to fight someone. “Pay attention! This is important!”

“Calm down, Hayner!” Olette intervenes as Roxas braces himself for an attack. Lucky for him, the hit doesn’t come. Hayner freezes mid-attack as Pence and Olette get Roxas caught up.

“Anyway, we should do something about this,” you suggest, a bit sour that you and your friends are being treated like criminals for no reason.

“I mean, it’s true that stuff’s been stolen around town. And we’ve got a score to settle with Seifer and everything,” Hayner goes on as he proceeds to pace around the Usual Spot. “So, if  _he_  wants to think we did it, I can’t really blame him.”

“I guess not,” you mumble, though you can hardly say that’s fair.

“See, that’s not what really bugs me. What  _really_  bugs me is that he’s goin’ around tellin’ everyone  _we’re_  the thieves! Now the whole town and their mothers are treating us like we’re the Klepto Club!” he continues in one breath, raising his voice the angrier he becomes. By the time he turns to you, he’s absolutely livid. “Have you  _ever_ been this ticked off before in your  _life_?” ‘Cos I haven’t. Nu-uh,  _never_!”

“Oh, that explains it,” Roxas sighs as he recalls the cold shoulder everyone was giving him earlier. “On my way to Haruna’s, I thought I was having worst luck than usual.”

“In any case, we can’t let ‘em get away with this!” Hayner pounds his fist into his hand before he decides to grab a Struggle club with nails hammered in it. “Let’s beat the crap out of ‘em!”

You quickly stand to your feet. “Even _if_  they’re the ones accusing us, we can’t just fight them!”

“Then what do  _you_  suggest we do?”

“Uh, well…” Roxas cuts in, catching the way Olette is silently pleading for him to say something before an argument breaks out between you and Hayner. “We can find the  _real_  thieves. That would set the record straight.”

“Hey, that sounds fun!” Pence chips in. “We’ll hoist the real criminals by his own petard! To prove our innocence!”

Not entirely convinced, Hayner crosses his arms and sticks out his bottom lip in a pout. “What about Seifer?”

“First, we gotta clear our names,” Roxas reasons with him. “Once we find the real culprit, everyone will get off our backs.”

Hayner rubs his chin and ponders about it for a moment. Suddenly, he pulls you into a headlock and begins to drag you toward the entrance. “All right, let’s go! Follow me, everyone!”

“Whoa, hold on! We’re gonna need proof! Pence, grab my camera!” you manage to say, pointing to where you’ve left it – on top of a small table, next to small keepsake box.

“Already on it, Haruna!”

“Good grief…” Roxas sighs as he looks at you two, seemingly glad that you and Hayner are getting along again. Olette tosses him a wink and thanks him for his help.

“Oh no! This is bad!” Pence suddenly shouts.

“Now what?” Hayner groans, shooting him a look. His arm is still around you, but both of you have since calmed down.

“Someone’s swiped our stuff too!”

“What?!”

There’s a mix of disbelief and confusion between the rest of you. It’s hard to imagine anyone could’ve easily walked in without any of you noticing. Every evening, you and Hayner make sure the gate is locked up, and only you five know where the key is.

“They’re gone! Our — are gone!” he continues, rummaging through the keepsake box. When silence meets his claim, he looks over his shoulder at you guys. “Huh? Guys, couldn’t you show a little more concern?”

Hayner is the first to speak up. “What did you say?”

“I  _said_  our — has been–” he stops when he realizes what fell from his mouth is a censored blank. He tugs on the bandanna around his neck, looking absolutely confused. “What…?”

As the four of you approach him, Hayner moves him out of the way. “You tryin’ to mess with us, Pence?”

“No! I’m telling you!”

Your heartbeat is pounding loudly in your ears as you examine the small, makeshift table of two boxes stacked on top of each other. At first glance, it seems nothing is out of place: your camera is safe in Pence’s hands, Hayner’s small prizes from a candy machine and Pence’s comic is still there. None of Olette’s handmade crafts are broken or damaged, and even Roxas’ receipt from his last purchase is shoved under the keepsake box. Inside the box are sentiments that you and your friends have been collecting: train tickets from memorable adventures, movie stubs, bottle caps, cool rocks, unique buttons, and … blank polaroids?

Your stomach drops when you see a blank sheet in place of a precious memory you took with your friends.  _Why … is it empty?_

“You’re right. It’s gone,” you say, feeling a mix of shock and dismay. “All our —, gone.”

Eyes widen as Pence points a finger at you. “See! You can’t say it either! You can’t say the word —!”

“You can’t say —, why not?” Olette asks, confusion and concern filling her eyes. She gasps when she realizes the same thing is happening to her.

“That’s stupid. —, —,” Hayner tries as well, but to no avail. The word is inaudible. Frustrated, he cries out, “What is this? I can’t say it!”

“This is too weird,” you agree, wondering how this is even possible.

“But you  _do_  know what I’m saying, right? Our — are gone!” Pence desperately gestures at the empty picture frame.

“Stolen…” Roxas speaks up, bringing his knuckle to his lips. “And not just the —. The  _word_  —! They stole  _it_  too!”

“What kind of thief is  _that_?” Hayner questions, crossing his arms. Although he doesn’t like to admit it, he acknowledges, “Seifer could never have pulled that off.”

“Yeah!”

“All right, time for some recon! Let’s find the thief who stole our —!”

At Hayner’s command, the five of you begin to head out. Hayner, Pence, and Olette dart out before you as another strange thought crosses your mind.

_A man in a black coat hands you a piece of paper. It’s your assignment for the day – a recon mission in a familiar world. You’ve done this sort of thing before: investigate new places, eliminate foes, collect certain things, and so on. Sometimes, you’d do these things by yourself, but often you’d be paired up with…_

“Haruna,” Hayner calls out to you, snapping you out of your thoughts. His voice is strangely monotone, and he, Pence, and Olette are looking at you rather oddly. Almost like puppets with blank stares and plastic smiles on their faces. “Go get Roxas.”

“Oh!” You look over your shoulder and realize he isn’t behind you. A chill runs up your spine when you realize how quiet it is – like the world is still and frozen in time. You feel uneasy as you stutter, “Um, okay, be right back.”

They continue to wait for you in silence. Their faces are completely blank, their voices lacking emotion, and their bodies stiff. They … almost look unreal, and it makes you nervous seeing your friends like that.

Quickly, you run back to the Usual Spot where Roxas should be. When you find him, he’s collapsed on the ground. “Roxas?”

Somewhat dazed, he sits up and looks at you. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“A voice,” he starts, but then decides to shrug it off. “Maybe it’s in my head.”

“Roxas, c’mon,” you say lightly and offer your hand to him. He nods his head and grabs it, and as you help him up to his feet, you can’t help but notice how incredibly warm his hand is around yours. The touch makes you feel safe, and a small part of you is glad he doesn’t let you go right away.

Together, the two of you exit the storage space and head into the Back Alley where the others are still waiting. You still feel uneasy as the trio comes into view. You hope that maybe – perhaps – Roxas would notice something off about them too.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” he asks when you suddenly stopped and pulled him back. Your hand squeezes his slightly.

“Roxas, wait, I think–”

“Over here!” Hayner suddenly calls out when he spots you two. He’s cooled off a bit since his rant earlier, but he’s as determined as ever to clear your names. He raises his eyebrow when he notices you’re still holding Roxas’ hand and smirks. “What’re you two doing?”

“Oh, nothing!” you say, and you slip your hand out of his. You raise your hands up in defense, but you’re confused at the three seem as animated and expressive as ever.

“Well, it took you two long enough,” Olette teases, tossing a wink. The implication causes you to feel flustered as Roxas merely grins.

“Let’s get this investigation underway!” Pence luckily changes the topic. His eyes shimmer with excitement over the strange case. “This is like an occult phenomenon, isn’t it?”

“Wait a sec, we’d you get that from? It’s not like we’re in some fairy tale,” Hayner comments, but his words fall on deaf ears as Pence rapidly tangents off on various theories and speculations about the thief and stolen word. Never mind that you guys are the main suspects. “Ugh! You don’t have to be so happy about it.”

The others laugh at their exchange. However, Olette notices that you’re being awfully quiet. “Is something wrong, Haruna?”

“Yeah, wasn’t there something you wanted to tell me?” Roxas asks, looking at you too. As you meet his gaze, you see that your friends really are back to their normal selves. Maybe their behavior from earlier is just part of your imagination as well.

So, quietly, you answer, “It’s just …  _too_ weird of a day, I think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I used to add a little questionnaire at the end of every chapter, so I'm thinking of bringing it back. 
> 
> Questions:  
> 1\. I know we're just getting started but thoughts on the story so far?  
> 2\. What's a strange thing you've experienced recently?


	3. What Was Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the raindrops come tumbling, remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.  
> \- Snow White

Suspecting eyes follow you and your friends the second you enter Market Street. You hear the accusing whispers, your names tied with words of theft. It’s an unsettling and unjustified feeling.

Hayner ignores the looks and turns to face you guys. “Here’s the plan.”

There isn’t much any of you know about this mysterious thief. If you ask around enough, someone is bound to have some information on them: what they’re after, what they look like, where they went. The five of you decide to split up. Hayner takes off on his own before anyone could stop him, Olette drags Pence with her when she spots a new sale at her favorite shop, and you and Roxas are left staring after them.

“I guess it’s just you and me.” Roxas winks as he says this, and you try your hardest to will away the blush coloring your cheeks.

As usual, the shopping district is bustling with life: mom-and-pop shops are open for business, odd jobs are listed in bulletin boards for hired help, townsfolk are hanging out and running errands, and a trolley slowly circles around the entire area. You and Roxas enter a few different shops together, only to be met by unwelcomed anger and disappointment.

_“Yo, Roxas. Never thought you’d do such a rotten thing.”_

_“Oh, it’s you Roxas _…_  Please don’t let me down. You used to be one of my favorite customers.”_

_“I’d like to believe you but … who else would steal that stuff?”_

An exasperated sigh falls from his lips, and Roxas suddenly rests his head against your shoulder. In despair, he grumbles, “I’m not a thief.”

You pet him gently. “I know you’re not, Roxas.”

Still, even you have to admit that out of everyone in your group, Roxas is taking most of the heat from those stupid rumors.

“It’s no fun having everyone suspect me, ya know.”

“Hang in there. We’ll get through it,” you encourage gently, trying to comfort him. A short silence falls between you two, and you feel his slow breath against the crook of your neck. “Hey, remember that time when those seven little men thought we were trying to steal their diamonds? We never could convince them we  _weren’t_  a couple of thieves.”

Roxas raises his head and blinks at you. “I don’t remember that.”

“Really? We were in the mines beyond the scary woods, and we spent almost an hour chasing after them because they kept running away from us. One was really mean and grumpy, another kept sneezing all the time, and another had this dopey look on his face…” You pause as you recall another important detail of the memory. “Then again, I was really young when that happened.”

It wouldn’t have made sense. Roxas looks the same as he did back then.

“Silly,” he muses with a soft chuckle. “But thanks. I can always count on you to cheer me up.”

You return his smile and shyly admit, “You make me happy too, Roxas.”

Something catches his attention, and you turn to see what he’s looking at. At Auntie Elmyra’s candy shop, you can see she must have lost sight of her cat again. The poor, old woman is calling out its name, worriedly looking for it.

“Roxas,” you begin, pointing to the awning above the shop where the missing cat is casually licking its paw.

“I got it!” he replies, and the two of you help return the pet. Auntie Elmyra is grateful, and even helps with your investigation. She also had something stolen from her, and when she tells you what they took, you and Roxas exchange looks. Even she isn’t able to say the missing word.

Eventually, the five of you regroup. Hayner, Pence, and Olette weren’t able to find any new leads; no one is willing to cooperate with the top suspects of the crime. However, while you and Roxas can confirm  _what_  the thief is after … none of you know  _why_  or  _how_  they’re doing it.

“There’s only one group we haven’t talked to yet,” you mention quietly. Hayner scowls when he catches on, but even  _he_  admits you guys need all the help you can get.

“Fine,” he reluctantly agrees. “To the Sandlot.”

-*-

Twilight Town’s Disciplinary Committee – a small group composed of the biggest, most self-righteous bullies around. Although they like to use their power to push people around and do whatever they want, they’re highly regarded by the adults as shining examples and diligent peacemakers.

 _Yeah, right_. You roll your eyes at the thought.

It’s no secret that you and your friends dislike them. When they’re not busy trying to run the town, they’re out to terrorize your group … which is how the Usual Spot became your safe place to begin with. Accusing you and your friends for petty theft is surely something they’d do.

Peering behind a nearby wall, you see Rai, Fuu, and Vivi gathered in front of the town’s message board. None of them notice they’re being spied on as you and your friends make a vertical line around the corner of the building with Pence crouching at the very bottom, Hayner leaning above him, you looking over his shoulder, Olette standing on her toes to see over your head, and Roxas standing on top of a trash bin..

“Seifer and his gang might know something. I’d hate to ask them though,” Hayner remarks sourly.

Just then, someone grabs you and Olette by the elbows and pull you two out of the way. In the same motion, the person roughly shoves the boys to the ground. A familiar voice taunts, “What’re you sneakin’ around for?”

“Are you guys okay?” you ask as you and Olette help them back to their feet.

Meanwhile, the person draws attention to your group. “Hey guys! The thieves’ve been checkin’ us out!”

“What’d you say? You better take that back!” Hayner growls at what he calls you guys and runs straight toward them. Roxas is the first to catch up to him and quickly holds him back.

“Ha, nice comeback there, blondie,” Seifer – the head of the Disciplinary Committee and Hayner’s sworn rival – mocks despite being blond himself. He instigates the others to heckle and continue to call you all thieves, each insult lighting a fiery anger under your skin.

“Oh yeah? You guys started that rumor!” Hayner roars, lunging forward as Roxas struggles to hold him back.

“Roxas,” Seifer sneers, blatantly ignoring Hayner, “you can give us back the — now.”

Rai is quick to agree. “Yeah! You’re the only ones who would take it, y’know?”

“That was undeniable proof that we  _totally_  owned you lamers. And you wanted to erase it. That’s why you took it. Am I wrong?” Seifer snidely continues. “So, what did you do? Burn it? Or perhaps you asked your girlfriend to hide our glorious — for you?”

His haughty gaze falls on you. Worried, Olette touches your arm as Pence mutters under his breath, “It’s not worth it, Haruna.”

“It must’ve been embarrassing, right? Seeing how your chicken-wuss boyfriend was defeated like that. Maybe it wasn’t Roxas that wanted to get rid of the — after all. Maybe it was  _you_ , Haruna.” He scoffs and waves his hand dismissively. “Ha, not like we need some — to prove that you’re losers.”

Roxas abruptly drops Hayner, causing him to fall on his face. When he looks at Seifer, there’s a look of pure anger in his eyes. His voice is low as he warns, “Don’t talk down on her like that.”

“What a look! Did I hit a sore spot?”

“Replay,” Fuu suggests, causing Seifer to burst out in laughter.

“ _Now_  you’re talking!” He picks up a couple Struggle Clubs – toy weapons that resembles cushioned baseball bats – and tossed one by Roxas’ feet. He points the other at his chest; his stance ready for a fight. “Take it. I just have to own you again.”

Roxas takes a breath and steps up, however you grab his hand to stop him. “Roxas, you don’t have to do this.”

However, he squeezes yours and murmurs, “It’s okay. Trust me.”

“Isn’t this romantic?” Seifer interrupts sarcastically. “I guess if you get down on your knees and beg,  _maybe_  I’ll let it slide.”

Roxas lets you go and continues to step forward. Mocking laughter reaches your ears as you watch him get on his hands and knees and bow before them.

Seifer crosses his arms and smirks. “Magic mirror on the wall, who’s the biggest  _loser_ of them all?”

“Roxas!” Hayner starts, but Pence stops him.

You’re not sure what to think – if Roxas is swallowing his pride and doing this to avoid further conflict or to save face for your group. Then, you notice the calculating look on his face. When he stands, he’s holding the Struggle Club that Seifer threw him. The determination in his eyes show he isn’t going to back down easily.

You and your friends smile excitedly, sending your cheers. “Come on, Roxas!”

Just as loudly, Rai shouts, “Get ‘im Seifer, y’know!”

Seifer strikes first. His club hits Roxas, who blocks him at the last second. While Seifer is doing all the hard hitting, Roxas manages to stand his ground and stay on guard.

“Come on,” Seifer instigates, his movements strangely delayed. “Quit playin’ around and fight.”

He hits a distracted Roxas in the face, nearly making him fall backward.

“Roxas, focus!” Pence shouts, his voice also sounding a bit off.

Clenching his teeth, Roxas sees Seifer swinging his arm down for another hit. At the last second, he parries the attack and knocks the weapon right out of Seifer’s hand. He holds his club out at Seifer’s chest, breathing hard as the committee stares at him in disbelief.

_When did … Roxas get so strong?_

Rai and Fuu are quick to defend their leader. With wild gestures, Rai insists over Hayner and Pence’s cheering, “Seifer’s not feelin’ so hot, y’know! He’s just savin’ his strength!”

“Tournament decides,” Fuu adds, pointing at a poster for the upcoming event later that week.

With a grin, you pull out your camera and decide to capture this victory. “Roxas, look sharp!”

Seifer yells and blocks his face with his hand. Rai steps forward to take your camera away as Fuu squints with an annoyed glare. Roxas looks over at you, momentarily confused, but cracks a small smile for you.

You take the shot, and just when the proof develops, a flash of white circles around you from out of nowhere and snatches the camera out of your hand.

“What was  _that_?”

“The thief?”

“Whatever it is, it took my camera!”

“Get ‘im!” Hayner shouts as you and the others chase after the culprit.

-*-

“Which way did it go?” Hayner asks as the five of you end up back at the Market District, frantically looking for the thief.

The culprit is so fast … you don’t even think it’s human.

_Just what the heck IS that thing?_

“There!” Roxas shouts, spotting something in the distance. He takes off toward the woods as you follow after him. As you stare at his back, you suddenly see him in a different attire.

_He wears a black coat and carries a key-shaped weapon on one hand and holds onto your hand with his other. You two aren’t in Twilight Town anymore … actually, you’re not sure WHERE you are. It’s raining so hard and everything is all black and gloomy. Your chest tightens in panic, and his face is unreadable. The two of you are running away from something … someone? Who is after you? Where is he taking you?_

Seeing the strange vision makes you dizzy, and you try not to faint right on the spot. You look to where your friends are and they seem … frozen. It’s as if time has suddenly stopped and the world became silent.

You lose feeling in your legs and fall on the ground. There’s a ringing in your head that you can’t stand, and it makes it so hard for you to focus on anything.

Footsteps approach you. The sound seems to be the only thing you can hear as they come closer to where you’ve fallen. You turn your head to see who it is before you pass out.

All you see is a man in a black hooded coat.

-*-

_You’re falling._

_A bright light surrounds your small body, warm and blinding. Echoes of loud voices and soft whispers fill your ears as you continue to descend from the sky like a shooting star. They tell you not to be afraid, but you dare not open your eyes. You’ll get hurt…!_

_“Float!” a woman’s voice shouts, and the air drastically changes around you. You’re floating now, and when you slowly open your eyes, you see your shadow circling the tall, green grass below you._

_“Hurry!” another voice shouts – a male this time – as they run toward you before the hastily-casted spell breaks._

_“I got her!” yells another voice belonging to someone younger than the first two. Like a bubble, the short spell suddenly ends and you feel yourself falling again. A frightened scream escapes your lips as you brace yourself to land face-first on the ground._

_Instead, two arms catch you and brings you to his chest. He breaks your fall and he tumbles on the grass a little; his breathing a bit heavy from running to you as fast as he could. Gently, he murmurs, “It’s okay, I got you.”_

_“Are you guys all right?” the woman worriedly asks as she and a man around her age finally catch up._

_“I’m okay!” the person holding you answers. You finally peek up at him; his side-swept hair is the color of dandelions. Then, he looks back at you with the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen and curiously asks, “Where did you come from?”_

-*-

You wake with a jolt. Sitting up, you frantically check your surroundings: the rusty pipes, the wooden crates, the rumbling of a train passing above you. It takes you a moment, but you realize you’re back at the Usual Spot.

_How did I get here?_

Across the room, your friends are huddled together. Hayner is holding something in his hand as he asks, “What’s this?”

“I was his first customer after he took over the shop,” Roxas answers fondly. “So, we took a picture together.”

“It’s a really nice photo,” Olette compliments. She gasps when she realizes what she said.

“Hey! You just said ‘photo’!” Pence brightly exclaims. “We’ve got the word back too!”

“So, what happened out there?” Hayner inquires, but Roxas shakes his head. By now, you’re sure they’re talking about the thief you guys were chasing.

“Not much to say,” he admits, though you have a feeling he might be hiding something. “The pictures were just lying there.”

“Then how do we prove  _we_  weren’t the ones who took ‘em?” Hayner grumbles as he inspects the next photo. His annoyed tone changes to a playful jeer. “What do we have here?”

“You look happy in this one, Roxas,” Olette teases.

“Do not,” he cuts in, obviously embarrassed.

“What’s going on?” you ask, finally deciding to join them. Roxas is quick to snatch the photo from Hayner’s hand and hide it from you. However, he couldn’t hide the knowing looks Hayner and Pence exchange with each other.

“Haruna, you’re awake! Are you feeling better?” Olette asks with concern. Supposedly, you were chasing the thief, tripped over a stick, and knocked out. She stayed behind with you as Hayner and Pence went to catch up with Roxas. By the time they reached him, he was in front of the Old Mansion. The thief was gone and he was picking up all the photos that were scattered on the ground.

Apparently, that’s all the thief took from everyone too – photos.

Your brows furrow in confusion. You’re certain you fell but … you don’t remember it happening like that.

“So, like, anybody else notice that all the pictures are of Roxas?”

All of you fall silent at Pence’s observation. Roxas stares at him in disbelief. “Are they really all of me?”

“Yep. See? Every single one.” He shows you all the photos that’s been stolen, and it’s true – Roxas is in every one of them. You feel the blood drain from your face when you realize something else about the pictures.

_These are all the ones I took myself!_

“Oh, so that’s why everyone thought it was us!” Olette remarks.

“You mean Seifer didn’t go around accusing us after all?” Hayner trails off and your friends begin voicing their concerns, hoping that whoever is stalking Roxas isn’t digging through his trash, peeping through his windows, or bugging the device in his room.

“Gimmie a break!” he yells in response, though he swears he’ll be more careful.

“Wouldn’t it be weird if the thief wanted to steal the  _real_  Roxas or something?” Pence muses, clearly not making the situation any better.

Hayner snorts. “C’mon, get serious. Why would  _anyone_  wanna steal a bonehead like Roxas?”

“Oh, thanks!”

Laughter fills the room, but you couldn’t bring yourself to crack a smile. The stolen photos, the stolen words, the strange thief … if what Pence says is true, why would they be interested in Roxas? Why doesn’t anyone else feel a little bothered by this?

“Oh, hey, guys! Here’s a picture of all of us.” Olette holds up a picture of the five of you in front of the Old Mansion. She places it back in the empty frame, and you smile a bit.

This was taken the day the five of you guys split up in the woods for a childish dare. First one to arrive at the gates of the haunted manor would take a picture, and the losers have to buy ice cream. You remember how scared you were, thinking the trees had creepy faces on them and jumping at every little sound you heard. And how Roxas held your hand and encouraged you to be brave. The five of you ended up arriving at the same time, relieved and happy that you all made it in one piece and decided to all be winners that day.

Hayner suddenly nudges your side. “Yeah, I look pretty good, huh?”

Pence laughs. “Not seeing it.”

From across the town, bells from the clock tower chime the hour. You and your friends fall quiet as you count each toll and realize how late it’s getting.

As you guys lock up and get ready to leave, Olette reminds you all that you still need to get started on that summer assignment. Hayner waves it off as Pence laughs.

“I’ll return all the missing photos to everyone before I go home. There’s something I need to ask them anyway,” Hayner tells you as he clutches all the pictures in his hands. “See you tomorrow!”

“Okay, see ya!”

“Later!”

Olette and Pence walk together in another direction, waving goodbye to you and Roxas. Once the two of you are alone, Roxas turns to face you. “Okay, what’s up?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve been really quiet since you woke up. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

There are a number of things on your mind: the thief isn’t human, the story of you falling over and losing consciousness is not what happened, the photos that's been taken around town with Roxas in all of them, and all the weird stuff that’s been going on with the people and the town.

“Roxas, all those pictures that’s been stolen…” you trail off a bit, deciding to at least start with this. “They’re pictures that  _I_  took with my camera. Some of them were in my memory book at home.”

His face pales a bit. Roxas doesn’t seem too worried about something supernatural stalking him, but for them to go after you is a different story. “Are you sure?”

“There’s something strange going on in this town,” you start, wanting to tell him  _everything_.

But something stops you.

The setting skies become much brighter – blindingly brighter – making it hard for you to see.

It couldn’t have been more than a few moments, but when it all clears up, you find yourself in your bedroom and dressed in your night clothes. A new day has risen, but … you’re sure you were just with Roxas at the Usual Spot.

_What’s happening to me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll be trying to keep this story updated every two weeks, so next update should be around March 22nd 8PM PST.
> 
> Question time:  
> 1\. The first day of a series of strange events is about to unfold. What are your thoughts on this chapter?  
> 2\. Have you ever been accused for something that you didn't do?


	4. To the Beach or Bust!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have courage and be kind. Where there is kindness, there is goodness, and where there is goodness, there is magic.  
> \- Cinderella

Yesterday’s events still weigh heavily on your mind.

Slowly, you trek down the paved roads toward the Usual Spot. Your mind is swirling with thoughts of black coats, time freezing, and the odd behaviors of your friends. It gives you a headache trying to make sense of it all -- like the dull ringing in your ear is purposely trying to prevent you from dwelling on these thoughts for too long -- but at the same time, you can’t get your mind off them. You need to know what’s happening to your town.

One thing’s for sure: you’ve got to find Roxas. He was with you when you fainted yesterday. Maybe he knows what’s going on.

-*-

Silence fills a cold, dark room. The only source of light is the dim glow from several computer monitors, all which serves a purpose to the world he created.

His face is wrapped with red bandages and belts, and he’s completely covered from head to toe. Yellow eyes are tainted with an unspeakable vengeance -- ones in which he’ll do just about anything for his resenting cause.

Thus, is his name: DiZ -- Darkness is Zero.

He sits before the computer and all its complicated extensions, striking the keyboard as the monitors light up with the data input and shows him the following information: restoration percentage, town maintenance, and the numbers of enemies breached.

In one monitor, hidden cameras pan to your face and follows your every movement. To the side, a list is displayed, showing everything from an accurate diagnosis of your vital signs to an estimation of your current mood.

Then, a robotic voice sounds:

**_Memory overwrite at 29%_ **

-*-

When you find Roxas, you see him standing in the Back Alley, staring toward the Sandlot. He’s so lost in thought, he doesn’t even notice when you approach him.

“Hey, Roxas.”

He nearly jumps out of his skin. As he faces you, he visibly relaxes, and the troubled look on his face is gone. Poking your forehead, he scolds, “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

You retaliate with a light smack in his arm and laugh. “What’re you looking at anyway?”

His smile fades. “Nothing. I just … I thought I saw somebody I know.”

“Really? Who?”

Roxas shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know.”

That’s … odd. Twilight Town is such a small place. Everyone knows who everybody is; outsiders visiting the town is very unusual.

Sensing there’s more to the story, you cross your arms and step closer to him. “What’s been on your mind? I know it’s something.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” he begins, rubbing the back of his neck, “but I’ve been having these … really strange dreams lately. They’re always of places I’ve never been to and with people I’ve never met. It’s almost as if I’m looking at someone else’s memories. They just seem so real…”

“Strange dreams, huh?” Now that you think about it, you’ve also been experiencing some weird thoughts lately. Unlike Roxas, however, they’re all your own -- but from different times, different versions of yourself almost. You dream of castles, giant cats, and being as small as a mouse.

“Today, I -- I mean, the _person_ I was -- held this key-shaped weapon. I think I was able to draw it out when I fought against the memory thief yesterday, but maybe all that is a dream too.” He sighs as he looks down at his hand. “I still feel its weight in my hands. I’ve been swinging a stick around just to see if I can bring it out again, but I couldn’t. So, I tossed it and I accidentally hit this guy in a black coat. I couldn’t see his face but … I can’t shake off the feeling that I _know_ him somehow.”

Your eyes widen. “You saw a guy in a black coat?”

He looks just as surprised as you are. “Yeah! Do _you_ know him?”

“Well, no--” you stop, wondering how to even _begin_ explaining all the weird stuff from yesterday when you hear a voice.

**_They’re waiting._ **

Unlike the ones from your dreams, this one’s distinctly male. You turn around to where the voice is coming from and you find yourself facing the Usual Spot. Could it have come from over there?

“Are you okay?” Roxas asks, placing a hand on your shoulder. This time, he’s the one who startles you. Caught off guard, you let out a surprised yelp, which causes the blue-eyed blond to laugh.

-*-

_“She knows too much. It was a bad idea to keep them together.”_

That’s what DiZ told him when the hooded man questioned what he saw on the computer screen. It’s a generous thought -- almost _too_ humane to create this reality. Every little detail, from the exact shade of flagstone on the ground to the breathtaking skies above, is extracted from your memories. DiZ argues that this place isn’t just made for the Nobody -- the man couldn’t care less about its peace of mind -- but for your sake as well.

Slowly but surely, the chain of memories are coming together. All the pieces are lining up -- yours and _his_.

Hidden out of sight from the pair of teenagers below, he’s given the order to keep the enemies at bay. More specifically, he’s to make sure nothing happens to _you_ , especially after the system was breached by yesterday’s intruders.

He sees the way that you look at the boy before you. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the boy likes you too. Together, the two of you head to where you and your friends are waiting.

This section is cleared. He’d checked it only minutes ago, but returned when he noticed your entrance.

The interaction between you and the Nobody -- to the mere shell of a person important to him -- it makes him sad.

DiZ’s next words ring clear in his mind.

_"It’s better that she just forgets about Roxas.”_

 -*-

With a handful of days left of your summer vacation, there’s still so much left to be desired. You want to make the most of these remaining days by doing something fun and thrilling … but none of you could think of _what_ to do.

For now, Olette had brought you guys one of the best simple pleasures in the world. Visually, it’s the color of clear seawater. At first taste, it’s salty -- often causing those who’ve never tried it to cringe away from such an odd flavor -- but only moments later, its sweetness melts in your tongue. You and your friends have been addicted to it as far as you can remember: Twilight Town’s sea-salt ice cream.

As you take a moment to savor its unique flavor, you realize the lazy summer days of just hanging with your friends and eating the icing on a cake after a hard day’s work is the best simple pleasure you can think of.

“Do you think we’ll always be together like this?” The question Pence asks catches you all off guard. Somehow, the words feel heavy.

Olette is the first to reply. “I sure hope so.”

Frowning, you ask, “Where did _that_ come from?”

Embarrassed, Pence rubs the back of his head. “Oh, well, you know. Just thinking out loud.”

“Well, I doubt we can be together forever. But isn’t that what growing up’s all about?” Hayner admits, trying to be realistic. “Circumstances change. When we become adults, of course we won’t be able to meet up everyday like this.”

You know he’s right, but … it still leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. “Isn’t it lonely thinking like that?”

“No, I just meant--” he stops himself, trying to think of a way to word out what he wants to say. “What’s important isn’t how often we _see_ each other, but how often we _think_ about each other. Right?”

Pence chuckles and tries to lighten up the mood. “Get that off a fortune cookie?”

“Hey, that’s it! No more ice cream for you!”

Laughter fills the room for a short time and eases into another long silence. The idea of summer vacation ending feels so … final.

As you look around the room, you notice your friends are also preoccupied: Hayner feels guilty for bringing down the mood, Olette has her summer assignment pulled out but isn’t in the mood to work on it, Pence looks disappointed when he finishes his ice cream too soon, and Roxas has been silent since you two arrived.

Hayner sighs. “Man, today’s turning out to be a drag.”

“Maybe because of yesterday’s memory thief?” Olette suggests.

“Nuh-uh. You know what it is? We don’t want summer vacation to be over. That’s all. So, how about this?” Hayner jumps to his feet. “We all go to the beach! And why do we go to the beach? Because we haven’t gone _once_ this entire vacation!”

You blink at him. “We’re going to the beach _today_?”

“Think about it, Haruna! Blue seas! Blue skies! Let’s just get on the train and _go_!” he preaches, waving his hands in the air with excitement. He turns to find the rest of you standing together with hesitation. “No? Aw, c’mon!”

“What about our homework, Hayner?” Olette asks, waving the assignment at him.

“We can do that _later_ !” He whips around to point at her. “You can’t tell me that you want summer to go by without going to the beach _once_!”

“Sheesh!” she groans, but you can tell by the look on her face that she’s coming around to the idea of a spontaneous day trip.

“Maybe you forgot, but we’re broke,” Roxas considers. Between the cost of the train fare and snacks, it’s pricey.

“Maybe you forgot _I’m_ smart!” Hayner proudly claims, pointing at himself with a smile. “Leave it to me! I’ll take care of it!”

 -*-

“Didn’t he say he had it covered?” Pence mumbles, carrying a stack of fliers in his arms. He expected Hayner to talk his way into scoring free tickets and food … not finding odd jobs for you and your friends to make a quick buck.

“This is Hayner, remember?” Olette reminds him.

“Whatever. Those pretzels are sounding pretty good,” Roxas replies as he slaps another flier against the side of a building.

After calculating how much each of you needed to earn, the five of you went around the neighborhood to clear the junk yard, exterminate bees, deliver letters, push a heavy cart up the steepest cliff, put on a show at Station Heights, and finally putting fliers around the town for the upcoming Struggle tournament.

“Just two days to go,” Hayner remarks as he stares at the poster. He suddenly slings his arms around you and Roxas. “All of us _have_ to make it to the finals! That way, no matter who wins, we’ll all split the prize!”

Roxas grins. “Okay, you’re on!”

“You guys are gonna clean up!”

“Go get ‘em!”

“We can do this, right? The three of us?” you ask, looking at the boys. You, Hayner, and Roxas have been training all summer for this.

Roxas meets your eyes and his grin widens. “Yeah!”

Hayner releases Roxas and their forearms touch. “It’s a promise!”

-*-

The man in a black hooded coat enters a payphone. Without inserting a coin, the line automatically connects to the man behind the computer.

“The beach? Absolutely not. Expanding the area would only give the enemy another entry point,” DiZ firmly decides. However, the fact that the hooded man even brings it up seems to bother him as he warns, “And remember, don’t let yourself get attached to _it_. You don’t want to lose sight of your objective.”

Without waiting for a response, the line disconnects. The hooded man can’t help but frown.

-*-

“Nice work, everyone. Added to what we started with, we now have…” Olette pulls out an orange pouch from behind her back, “Tada! 5,000 munny!”

Pride and a sense of accomplishment swells inside you as your friends cheer in excitement. All of you worked so hard to reach your goal, and you did it!

She hands the munny to Roxas, who feels its weight in his hands. When you glance over at the clock-tower, you realize the last train to the beach will be arriving any minute. “Let’s get tickets!”

Pence and Olette run toward the station with you, but Hayner and Roxas lag behind. You turn around to tell them to catch up, but even though you’re a bit far from them, you hear their conversation as if they’re standing next to you.

“We can’t be together forever,” Hayner says, “so we’d better make the time we _do_ have something to remember.”

“Huh?”

“Gotcha!” he suddenly shouts and playfully punches Roxas to hide his cheesiness. He places his hands on your shoulders, spins you around, and steers you toward the station. “C’mon, hurry up! The train is coming!”

Suddenly, your vision blurs. Everything becomes out of focus … and your body feels weak and heavy. If it isn’t for Hayner pushing you toward the steps, you’re not sure if you’d be moving at all. Then, the ringing … are you going to faint again?

“Haruna, are you okay?” Olette’s voice sounds so far away.

“Yeah, I think so…” you mumble, beginning to snap out of it. The ringing fades and the pain from your headache lessens. Blinking, you’re able to clearly see again. When you look over your shoulder, you see Roxas is awkwardly holding up his elbow and has a very perplexed look on his face.

“Roxas! Three minutes!” Hayner reminds him. He snaps out of it too and catches up. All of you rush inside the station and see that the train is already there. Hayner’s the first to reach the ticket booth. “Five students!”

“Roxas, the money,” Pence urges.

“Yeah…” He reaches into his jacket pockets and a look of surprise hits his face. Then, he begins searching through his other pockets. “Wait … uh? Huh? No! It’s gone!”

“What happened?” Hayner asks, turning away from the counter.

“He took it!” Roxas suddenly heads back toward the entrance.

Concerned, Olette speaks up. “Where are you going?”

He’s nearly out the door when he faces you guys again. “Remember when I fell? I had the money before that. I bet that guy took it!”

“Guy?” you repeat.

“I’m gonna look for him. He couldn’t have gotten too far…” he trails off when he notices the worried and confused looks on your faces.

“What’re you talking about? There was no guy,” Hayner tells him.

“But he … There wasn’t … Really?” he sputters in disbelief. Roxas walks up to you and puts his hand on your shoulder. “Haruna, you saw him, didn’t you? The guy in the black coat!”

The bewildered look on your face tells him otherwise. “I-I didn’t see anyone.”

Behind you, the final whistle of the last train blows. Within minutes, it departs to its destination. Pence sighs heavily. “Oh boy … it left.”

“Guess we won’t make it today after all,” Hayner mutters sadly. Even Olette can’t help but feel disappointed at the turn of events.

You’re upset that everyone’s hard work has gone to waste but … how could Roxas lose it when he had the munny in his hand? Are things just disappearing around the town like the photos?

Roxas is still standing in front of you, looking the most confused of you all. “No way … There wasn’t anyone … there?”

-*-

Back in the mysterious computer room, the hooded man idly tosses and catches the orange pouch he snatched. Munny gently clinks against each other with every toss. He eyes the man in red beneath his hood, breaking the otherwise stifling silence between them.

“I know you didn’t want them leaving Twilight Town, but was that really necessary?” he carefully asks.

DiZ’s answer is curt. “We cannot risk the enemy getting a hold of her again.”

He notices that DiZ always singles you out whenever he speaks about these things. “What’s the Organization’s status?”

“All is quiet. They’re probably waiting for us to make a move,” he speculates. “Whatever they may be doing, we need Naminé to make haste. There is a reason why the Organization is after the girl, keeping her alive. The answer may lie in the memories we have yet to uncover.”

“And this?” he questions, holding up the pouch.

“We can always buy some sea-salt ice cream.” DiZ chuckles at his joke before he turns back to his computer. “Objects from that town must be kept out of the real world. You can delete that.”

The hooded man slowly nods and stuffs the pouch in his pocket.

-*-

The trip to the beach … is a bust.

Instead, the five of you head up to the top of the clock-tower with another round of sea-salt ice cream. Somehow, it doesn’t taste the same. A bitter aftertaste lingers, deluding the sweetness.

The only one who isn’t eating is Roxas, who holds his ice cream in his hand. Quietly, you point out, “It’s melting.”

You can tell he’s been beating himself up for what’s happened. “Sorry.”

“Cheer up already!” Hayner waves his hand dismissively.

“That was definitely weird though,” Pence comments.

“You probably just dropped it when you tripped and someone ran off with it,” Olette suggests, adding that he’s the one who worked the hardest out of all of you today.

“She’s right,” Pence agrees, happily eating his ice cream. “And now, we can sit here and enjoy another simple pleasure.”

“In the future, we’ll look back at this day and laugh,” Hayner states as he bites into his treat. “We need more memories like today. Tons more! We may not be able to stay together forever … but we’ll always have our memories.”

“Whoa, when’d you turn into a poet?”

“Shut up, Pence!”

Laughter follows and lightens the mood, and when you look at Roxas, you can see even he’s a bit happier. However, his small grin fades as a thoughtful look strikes him.

**_“Can you feel Sora?”_ **

You throw him a questioning glance, but Roxas doesn’t notice. Looking to the horizon, you can’t help but feel like you’ve heard that name somewhere before.

-*-

Later on, Roxas offers to walk you home like he always does. Not quite ready to head back, you walk up the hilltop of Sunset Hill to admire your peaceful, quiet town. The skies are in their eternal twilight, but something feels different about the one before you.

_Why? Is something about to change?_

Roxas clearly has a lot on his mind as well. He isn’t paying attention when he steps on the heel of your shoe and slips it off, making you stumble forward. Apologies spill from his lips when he realizes what’s happened. He helps you up, then he slips your shoe back on your foot.

“Thanks, Roxas,” you say, placing your hands on his shoulders to keep your balance. You let him go and smile when he stands, but he still seems troubled.

“Can you promise me something?”

“Sure.”

“Promise you won’t forget me.”

“What?” You stare at him, wondering where that came from.

“It’s just … Hayner’s right. We might not see each other once summer ends. But every moment we’ve been spending together … I just wanted you to know that they mean everything to me.”

He cracks a smile then, and you catch your breath.

Something stirs inside you, fluttering and warm. The way the sunset glows on him, or what he just said, or the mood of the entire day makes you realize … it’s now or never.

_We can’t be together forever … so we better make the time we DO have something to remember._

“Roxas, I--” Your heart feel like it’s about to burst. “I won’t forget. I … I like you too much to ever forget you.”

There, it’s done.

You bite your lip, panicking at his silence. Roxas is your best friend, and you’ve liked him for so long. You don’t think you’ve liked _anyone_ the way you like Roxas, and laying out your feelings like this for the first time … it’s nerve-wrecking.

He stares at you for a moment, then chuckles.

Great. He’s _laughing_ at you.

“I know, Haruna. I’ve always known.”

“Oh…!” You blink at him and your cheeks feel incredibly warm. “Really?”

He smirks and touches your neck. “Really.”

Nervously, you ask, “Then … do you think maybe you’d ever feel the same?”

“I think I already do,” he murmurs and presses a small kiss on your lips. It was quick and sweet, and shocked you more than anything else. The two of you pull away to stare at each other. And then, you both laugh.

You’ve always imagined your first kiss to have an explosion of fireworks but this -- with the warmth of the sunset on your back, standing on one of the most romantic spots in town -- feels just as magical.

The fluttering feeling stays with you long after Roxas takes you home. You lie awake on your bed, thinking back to what he said before he left.

_“I meant what I said. Don’t forget me, okay?”_

_“I won’t,” you swore, wrapping your pinky around his. “I promise.”_

At the stroke of midnight, a new day is about to begin and the magic fades. You really don’t have much longer until summer vacation ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I feel like I'm terrible at writing romance, but I hope it was a little enjoyable haha.
> 
> Questions:  
> 1\. Thoughts on the chapter? Favorite part?  
> 2\. My first "job" was an intern at a fancy office (though I didn't end up getting hired on). What are your guys' first work experience(s)?


	5. Forgotten Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true. And I’ve seen him so many times...  
> \- Sleeping Beauty

_Sora._

Once upon a dream, you knew a Sora … at least, you  _think_ you did. The name’s been ringing nostalgia ever since Roxas mentioned it. All morning, you’ve been sitting in front of your bookshelf, going through albums and scrapbooks, and trying to figure out who he is.

Among the pile is your memory book -- a collection of photos you’ve taken of you and your friends on your adventures. Photos slide out between the pages, and you realize you’ve never had a chance to re-arrange them after finding the memory thief. With a sigh, you pick them up from the ground, and it’s only then that you notice most of your pictures are of Roxas.

Roxas doing a trick on his skateboard. Roxas falling asleep in class. Roxas hitting a bulls-eye on the dartboard in the Usual Spot. Your favorite, however, is a picture the two of you took together.

_You broke your camera one day, and you were absolutely devastated when no one in town was able to fix it. Hayner, Pence, and Olette tried cheering you up, inviting you over to watch movies or play games with them. You didn’t know they were keeping you distracted while Roxas picked up several jobs to buy you the same model camera he found at a shop._

_He showed up at the Usual Spot for the first time in a while and handed you a box. “Open it.”_

_“Roxas…” You almost cried -- or maybe, you actually did. He only laughed as he pulled you into a hug, practically smothering your face to his chest._

_“You guys should take a picture together!” Olette suggested, grinning from ear to ear._

_Pence nodded his head. “Yeah! Try it out, Haruna!”_

You frown, disheartened when you can’t seem to find that particular photo anywhere. You’ve turned your entire bedroom upside-down trying to look for it. By far, it’s one of your favorite memories.

Other than yesterday, of course.

And it occurs to you that you and Roxas are …  _something_  now.

Butterflies are in your stomach. You suddenly want to see him. Has he already told everyone? What would your friends think? You haven’t even  _thought_  about what their reactions would be!

From your shelf, the glimmer of a yellow star-shaped charm catches your eye. A small, neatly-bounded trinket you often carry around with you for good luck.

As you exit your home, its magic already takes effect as Hayner runs toward you with a huge grin on his face. “Haruna! Great timing! I was just looking for you!”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Today’s the day we hit the beach!” he announces excitedly. “And don’t sweat it about the munny. I told my uncle what happened yesterday, and he gave me enough to cover what we lost.”

“Whoa! Really?”

“I left a note at the Usual Spot,” he continues, jogging in place as he waves goodbye. “Go find the others and tell them to meet me at the station! I’ll go get our tickets!”

-*-

_“What’s your name, child?” an older man with black hair and white robes asks as he kneels down to your eye-level. The scar and stern look on his face is intimidating, yet there’s a gentleness in his voice when he speaks to you._

_His apprentices immediately took you to him as soon as they found you. Shyly, you answer, “My name’s Haruna.”_

_“Haruna,” he repeats, the curiosity in his eyes unwavering. “Do you remember how you came to this world?”_

_You shake your head. He asks if you remember the world you came from, but you don’t know the answer to that either. All you recall is a big clock tower and pretty skies, which doesn’t tell them much. With a sigh, he stands and looks at his apprentices for insight._

_“She just … fell from the sky,” a tall, muscular young man with brown hair and blue eyes states in awe, as if he can’t quite believe it himself._

_“You feel it too, don’t you Master?” the blue-haired woman inquires._

_He nods his head. “Yes, a great power lies within her. It’s a matter I must discuss with the other Masters. Until then, can I entrust you three to look after her?”_

_“Of course,” the woman answers without hesitation._

_“What about our exam?” The brown-haired male crosses his arms as he looks at her. “You and I need to focus on our training.”_

_“Leave it to me!” the blond-haired boy pipes up. He throws you a grin and ruffles your hair. “It’ll be nice not to be treated like the baby anymore.”_

_The brown-haired male chuckles. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.”_

_Their Master smiles a bit. “Very well. Haruna is under your charge. Take care of her.”_

_But the boy is already squatting before you with a bright smile. “You hear that? From now on, you and I are gonna be best friends. Don’t forget it.”_

-*-

The first people you run into are Pence and Olette. “Hey, Haruna. Olette’s dragging me to go shopping.”

“Do you want to come with us?”

“Not today. Hayner said we’re going to the beach!” You pass on the message and their eyes light up with excitement. As they ramble, their voices suddenly become … distant. Muffled. Your vision blurs, and you hear a loud  _piercing_  ringing…

“Are you okay?”

Just like that, everything’s back to normal. Your friends look at you worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.” You frown, wondering what’s been going on with you these past couple of days. “Have you guys seen Roxas?”

“Not since yesterday,” Pence answers, tilting his head. Again, he asks if you’re okay, but you don’t answer him.

From the corner of your eye, you see  _him_. A man in a black coat. He  _must_  be that pick-pocketer Roxas was telling you guys about!

“Wait, Haruna, where are you going?”

“Sorry, I have to go!” Without much of an explanation, you turn your back to your friends and chase after the hooded man.

-*-

_True to his word, you and the boy with the dandelion-colored hair become quite close. Everywhere he goes, you follow; and he makes sure you’re never too far from his sight. He’s protective and playful, and gives you the same unconditional love and care the others had given him._

_“I’ve never had a family before,” he confesses, plucking the grass as the two of you watch his older companions spar against each other. He picks a yellow dandelion and sticks it in your hair. “My friends are important to me, and I’d do anything to protect them. They’re my family, and now, you are too._ ”

_More often than not, you and the boy would accompany the other two while they work hard on their training. From the sidelines, you watch in awe when the blue-haired woman gracefully casts incredible spells that color the air or when the brown-haired man swings his weapon with a force that shakes the ground._

_The first time you’re able to manifest your powers was when you mimicked them during their practice, and a burst of light and darkness knocked you off your feet. It startled all of them when they discovered you’re able to summon raw energies of the two forces at command._

_“I think we should teach her how to fight,” the young man brings up a couple days later. He eyes his companion’s reaction. “Do you disagree?”_

_“Well, no, but…” the blue-haired woman pauses. “Isn’t she too young?”_

_“To protect herself? You saw it yourself, Aqua. There’s something special about her. Chances are, we won’t be the only ones who sees it. Wherever she got her powers, there are people who will want it for themselves, and we won’t always be there to defend her.”_

_Aqua sighs. “You have a point there, Terra.”_

_A week later, Terra presents you with a small, wooden sword -- one he made himself. “A weapon isn’t used to harm people, but to protect yourself and those you cherish. Practice, discipline, and trust the strength of your heart. One day, you’ll be strong enough to do that.”_

_With wooden sword at hand, it serves as a focal point to harness those powers, which luckily only comes in seldom bursts. It scares you, knowing something so powerful comes from you; it scares the others a bit too. But it motivates them to teach you how to control and conceal them._

_“The Master once told me magic is born from the heart,” Aqua tells you one night as she tucks you in bed. “When the time’s right, you just need to look inside yourself and you’ll find it there -- a ray of light, a goal, hope.“ She laughs softly and runs her fingers through your hair. “It might not make sense to you now, but one day, you’ll discover beautiful, wonderful things to hold dear. Magical and all.”_

_When you’re not with the trio, you’re with Master Eraqus._

_After his meeting with the other Masters, it’s been decided you’ll stay under his care until they find your home. He raises you like one of his students -- kind, but firm with lessons of how the Light always overcomes the Darkness._

_“A great power lies within you,” he reminds you as he finishes reading you a story in his study. “It can easily fall into the wrong hands if you’re not careful. People may come after you, but you have to be brave. And always remember, where there is Darkness, there will always be Light.”_

-*-

You lose sight of him when you reach Station Heights. It feels eerie seeing the plaza completely empty; the stillness of it all makes you wonder if time is frozen again. Then, you hear the sound of footsteps approach you.

Turning around, you see the hooded man you’ve been chasing. Between the stolen photos and your hard-earned munny, you’re certain he’s the one responsible for all the theft in town.

Standing your ground, you demand, “Who are you? Why do you keep taking our stuff?”

“Me? Heh, you must have the wrong guy. _I_  just got here.”

_There’s more than one?_  Your frown deepens. “Then … who are you?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot already.” He shakes his head and sighs. Slowly, he pulls down his hood and reveals his face. “It’s me, Axel. Got it memorized?”

You squint. “What do you mean ‘forgot’? I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

“You sure know how to hit ‘em where it hurts, kid,” Axel mutters in disdain. “In any case, it wasn’t easy tracking you down. That guy sure hid you two well in this place. Even I have to admit, it’s impressive.”

“What’re you talking about?” you ask, clearly confused. He stops looking around and sighs again.

“You know, it doesn’t matter.” He holds his hand toward you. “Come with me, Haruna. Let’s get you out of here before they find us.”

“No, I want to know what’s going on,” you protest, refusing to cooperate with anyone until you know what’s happening to your town. “Are you the one making everything so weird?”

“I’m not. The person responsible for  _that_  is keeping you and Roxas trapped here.  _I’m_  in charge of breaking you guys out.” He peers at you curiously and asks, “Don’t tell me you haven’t realized this is all a ruse.”

_A ruse? So … none of this is real?_

He isn’t making any sense, but...

“Why should I go with you anyway?”

He rolls his eyes, getting impatient. “Because if you come with me, it’ll make my job a whole lot easier. Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you. Got it memorized?”

Your stomach twists when you remember what Pence mentioned after you found all the photos the memory thief took. They’re after the  _real_  Roxas after all!

“You must think I’m stupid. How can I trust you?”

“Hmm, well…” he pauses, his face unreadable. “We used to be friends, right?”

Before he could say anything else, the air in the plaza begins to warp around you. Another hooded person appears from behind him. He draws out a wing-like sword and Axel curses under his breath when he realizes he’s out of time. He summons red chakrams to each hand and faces the newcomer.

“Haruna.”

A voice calls from behind you, and when you turn around, you see a girl in white. She says something and suddenly, you feel incredibly drowsy. Struggling to keep yourself awake, you try to focus on the girl before you.

_“I’m happy we got to meet one more time.”_

The sad smile on her lips is the last thing you see before your world turns dark.

-*-

_“Whoa! A meteor shower!” the boy with the dandelion hair exclaims as he presses his hands and nose against the bedroom window. His blue eyes twinkle in awe before he faces you. “Let’s check it out!”_

_He carries you in his arms with ease and runs outside. The night air makes you shiver and huddle closer to him as he feet quickly takes you two to an open field. It’s not until you gaze upward when you see what’s gotten him so excited. The stars in all its dazzling brightness is shooting across the sky!_

_You’ve never seen anything like it. And it terrifies you._

_His laughter dies down when you cling onto him tightly and bury your face against his shoulder. “What’s wrong, Haruna?”_

_“They’ll hit us,” you answer in a small voice._

_Realization strikes him and he sets you on your feet. He pulls out his key-shaped sword and vows, “Don’t worry. As long as I have this, I’ll always protect you!”_

_“Really?”_

_“If a shooting star comes this way,” he declares, swinging it around, “I’ll hit it right back to outer space! I’ll keep you safe no matter what.”_

_He keeps it up until you’re not afraid, and while he doesn’t actually hit anything, it’s comforting to watch him try. After a while, he collapses on the ground and closes his eyes, catching his breath. Footsteps quietly approach you two, and you see Aqua place a finger to her lips as she sneaks up on him._

_“Whoa! Gimme a break, Aqua,” he yells when she successfully scares him._

_Aqua laughs and pets his head, lightly scolding that he should’ve brought a blanket if he wanted to nap outside. Terra joins you three as you all sit on a ledge, talking about dreams and stars. His gaze is upward as he states every star up there is another world, and that their light is their hearts, shining down on you all._

_A light looking down on you._

_“It’s like you!” you tell the dandelion-haired boy, who looks bewildered. The others laugh and agree; to you, Terra, and Aqua, he’s your light._

_“Oh yeah, Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exam tomorrow.” Aqua stands and pulls something from her pockets. “I made us good luck charms.”_

_She tosses one to each boy, who easily catches them. “I get one too?”_

_“Of course. One for each of us,” she says and hands you a yellow one.  “Even Haruna.”_

_As you stare at the star-shaped charm, she tells you a story about a certain fruit that represents an unbreakable connection. So long as you and your friends carry this charm, nothing could ever drive you apart -- you’ll always find your way back to each other. No matter what._

-*-

_Light. Darkness. Shooting stars. A sword, a charm, dandelions._

You slowly open your eyes and find yourself sleeping against Olette on the steps of the train station. She and Pence are sitting with you, watching over an icebox, some beach towels, and other items they wanted to bring for the trip.

“Hey, sleeping beauty’s awake,” Pence teases when he notices you stirring.

You hear the grogginess in your voice. “What … happened?”

“You told us to meet you at the station, remember?” Olette reminds you, resting her chin on her hand. “We’ve been waiting on Roxas and you fell asleep.”

“Are you  _sure_  you told him we’re meeting up?” Hayner impatiently questions, putting a pause to his pacing to stand in front you three.

Pence nods his head. “Yeah, we ran into him by the Usual Spot.”

“Then where  _is_  he?”

None of you could answer, and Olette starts to look worried. “Should we look for him?”

They look at you to decide, and you slowly nod your head, still feeling out of it. You don’t remember falling asleep … or anything that happened before you woke up.

_Why does it feel like I’m forgetting something important?_

Your friends take off to search for Roxas, but you linger behind. You pull out your good luck charm from your pocket, watching as the sun reflects off the yellow glass.

_Ventus._

“Haruna, you coming?” Pence calls out. You tuck the charm away for now and run to catch up to him.

Once upon a dream, you knew a Ventus…

-*-

After searching around for a while, there’s still no sign of Roxas anywhere. Everyone’s starting to get worried. The last train to the beach definitely left by the time you decide to regroup at the station.

Deciding to cut through the Sandlot, you’re nearly run into Hayner. When you look over his shoulder, you see what caused him to stop in his tracks.

Roxas is there. While you were all worrying about him, it looks like he’s been sparring with Seifer and his gang.

“Hey, it’s you guys!” Seifer jeers when he spots you. “Come to play?”

From across the Sandlot, Roxas meets your gaze and your name falls from his lips. However, Hayner grabs your arm and pulls you away. “Let’s go.”

Pence and Olette exchange glances with each other and follow after you two as Roxas tries to catch up.

_Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you_.

Somehow, those words echo in your head. Where have you heard  _that_  before?

Hayner doesn’t let you go until you’re at the Usual Spot. He immediately digs through the icebox you planned to bring to the beach and pulls out a sea-salt ice cream. Pence and Olette take theirs too as Roxas enters, but Hayner pretends not to see him.

Pence sits in the corner and addresses the white elephant in the room. “So, you hung out with Seifer’s gang today?”

“N-No, it’s not like that. I just happened to run into them,” he assures you guys, but no one is buying it. He’s hiding something, but he redirects the question. “Oh yeah! How was the beach? Wasn’t that today?”

“We didn’t go,” Olette tells him. “It wouldn’t be the same without you, right?”

“Sorry…” He hangs his head, knowing he messed up. Hayner still wouldn’t even look at him, so he tries again. “Hey, what if we go tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” you echo.

Roxas nods his head. “Yeah! We could get those pretzels and--”

“I promise I’d be somewhere,” Hayner bluntly cuts in. It’s then Roxas remembers that the Struggle Tournament is tomorrow and you’re all going to compete. Having enough, Hayner jumps off the pipes and heads toward the exit. “I’m outta here.”

However, Roxas stands in front of him and clenches his fist. “What’s your problem? I … I really--”

“Roxas…?” you call out to him, but he doesn’t hear you.

“My head hurts,” he says after a minute and as he turns away, you catch a glimpse of sadness on his face. “I’m going home.”

Heavy silence follows after him, and for a moment, you could’ve sworn you saw him in a black coat.

-*-

The view from Station Height’s clock tower is one of the most magical, breathtaking things you’ve ever seen. As the setting sun warms your skin, a wave of nostalgia and tranquility fills you. And somehow, you knew you’d find Roxas here too.

Without a word, you take a seat next to him on the tower’s ledge and hand him the ice cream you grabbed from the icebox on your way to find him. He gauges your face for a moment, and when he realizes you’re not there to scold him, he takes your offering and mutters a barely-audible thank you. A comfortable silence falls between you two before the breathtaking twilight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so stupid,” he says after a while, balancing the stick between his teeth. “I can’t believe I forgot that promise.”

“Hayner will get over it. He never stays mad for long,” you assure him, but it doesn’t stop him from beating himself up for ruining the day. You try to lighten the mood a bit. “Besides, if Hayner comes after you, I’ll protect you.”

He finally smiles a bit. “Yeah?”

“Hayner, Seifer, everyone else,” you list on and laugh. “Wouldn’t that be something to put in my memory book?”

“That reminds me,” he pulls something from his jacket and hands it to you, “I forgot to give this back to you.”

“Oh! I’ve been looking for this!” you exclaim, staring at the photo in surprise. It’s the very one the two of you took together after he bought your camera. “It’s my favorite picture of us.”

In the photo, your eyes are a bit watery and your face is a bit flushed, but there’s no doubt you’re genuinely happy. Roxas had his arm around you, still holding you close as he presses his cheek on top of your head.

_He really does look happy._

Even now, there’s a fondness in his smile as he looks down at the picture. “It’s my favorite, too.”

As you look at him, seeing the way the dusk glows against his skin and colors his blond hair brown, you realize this is the first time you’ve really talked to him today. You feel your heart skipping a bit as you hand it back to him. “Then keep it. So that you’ll always have something to remember me by.”

He looks surprised. “Are you sure?”

“I made a promise, didn’t I? That I won’t forget.” You feel like you’ve heard these words before as you continue, “Nothing can drive us apart. We’ll always find our way back to each other. No matter what.”

“I doubt I’d forget you, Haruna. You’re too pretty not to remember,” Roxas suddenly says, catching you off guard. You realize that he’s been quietly admiring you too.

“I can’t tell if you’re teasing me.”

“I’m not. I mean it.”

“Flatter me all you want, Roxas. Just because I told you I like you doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you tomorrow.”

You can’t help but smile at his laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I've gotten a handful of comments that you guys had read the original wayyyy back in the ol' Quizilla days, and I just wanna say that I'm glad you guys found this story again, and I hope that it's just as enjoyable as when you first read it despite all the major changes haha.
> 
> Question time:  
> 1\. I personally had a few favorite moments written out in this chapter: the very last scene, the encounter with the hooded man, and the parts with the Wayfinder lol. Do you have a particular favorite part in this chapter?  
> 2\. Dreams in the KH universe holds a lot of significance to the characters: the whole Dream Drop Distance concept, Sora's dive to heart in the first game, and Roxas recalling Sora's memories through dreams. Do you personally believe that dreams have special meanings?


	6. Ready, Set ... Struggle!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Embrace your dreams, and whatever happens, protect your honor.  
> \- Zack Fair, Final Fantasy:VII Crisis Core

Today’s the big day. In a few short hours will be the annual Struggle Tournament!

All summer, you, Hayner, and Roxas have been training for this day. For months, you’ve committed to morning jogs up the town’s steep hills, mastering different training regimens, and spar practices against the boys in the Back Alley.

Finally, the time has come for all your hard work to pay off!

Despite all your bravado at the clock-tower yesterday, you’re faced with your biggest challenge yet: getting out of bed.

Warm sunlight fills the room, greeting you to a brand new day. But the comfort of your bed keeps you from getting out of it. Again, you’ve been having weird dreams -- ones with the strange white doors and circular platforms; ones where you’re a little girl with Terra, Aqua, and Ventus; and most peculiarly, ones of Roxas in a black coat.

As the days go by, you feel more tired as these memories flood back to you.

_ But what do any of them mean? Why am I remembering them now? _

Something else has been bothering you too. Yesterday, you’re certain you ran into a man in a black coat and red hair. The details are fuzzy but … as he stretched his hand toward you, he mentioned something about the town. About Roxas.

_ What was he trying to tell you? _

Loud tolls of the clock tower interrupt your thoughts. If you’re going to make it to the competition at all, you need to--

As you step out of a bed, an overwhelming drowsiness hits you. Your vision blurs as you fall in what feels like slow-motion. Then, as darkness trickles in, you swear you heard a robotic voice.

**_Memory overwrite at 67%_ **

-*-

_ “Good luck,” Ventus, the boy with the dandelion hair, whispers to his friends. Terra and Aqua murmur their thanks and stand before Master Eraqus and his special guest -- an old friend and fellow Master, Xehanort, who has traveled far to witness the results of their Mark of Mastery exam. _

_ His golden eyes meet yours for a brief second and it makes you uneasy. You cling tighter to Ven’s leg, drawing his attention. Gently, his fingers run through your hair as he asks, “Who’re you gonna root for?” _

_ Without hesitation, you decide, “Both of them.” _

_ He laughs and ruffles your hair. “Me too!” _

_ After his opening speech, Master Eraqus summons several spheres of light that catch your attention. Your eyes widen in fascination as they float before you, swaying slowly from side-to-side. To your surprise, dark energy taints the lights and corrupts them to move more erratically and violently. _

_ Across the room, Master Xehanort smirks as his fingers twitch, as if manipulating the tainted spheres like a puppeteer. His smirk widens when he catches your gaze and sends them to attack you. Aqua and Terra shout with worry. Just then, Ventus quickly summons his key-shaped weapon and parries the onslaught before they could touch you. _

_ “Don’t worry about us!” he tells his friends. “You two worry about the exam!” _

_ “But you’re in danger here!” Aqua protests, insisting he should go somewhere safe. _

_ “No way! I’ve been looking forward to this -- seeing you two become Masters. I’m not gonna miss it now!” _

_ Terra assures her that Ven could take care of himself. You, on the other hand, is a different story. “Why don’t you wait in your room until this is taken care of. We don’t want you to hurt yourself.” _

_ You pull your lower lip to a pout, but Master Eraqus nods his head in agreement. Even the boy admits, “There’s always next time, right? And when it’s my turn to take the exam, I’ll be expecting you to cheer me on.” _

_ “Okay,” you sigh reluctantly and take your leave. Behind you, you hear Aqua telling the others to stay sharp as they battle together. _

_ In the hallway, you see someone else quietly observing the fight. A man with a muscular built and dark, spiky hair. His eyes are golden too, and you feel a chill run up your spine when he suddenly turns his attention to you. Something about him is … dark. Evil. Misunderstood. _

_ An overwhelming sadness strikes you. His heart is aching so much. _

_ He glares at the tears swelling in your eyes. “What’re you lookin’ at, brat?” _

-*-

Your heart sinks when you finally make it to the Sandlot. A significant amount of time has passed when you woke up and found yourself still in your room. The festivities of the day has already begun, and it looks like they’re in the middle of finalizing the preliminary rounds.

Olette spots you and waves you over to them. “There you are! We were worried you wouldn’t show up.”

“Am I too late to compete?” you ask, then sigh when she and Pence nod their heads. Last call to sign up was before any of the matches began.

“Yo, Haruna! You missed the preliminaries.”

“Hey, Haruna, I’ve been looking for you.”

Hayner and Roxas approach you three at the same time. A tense moment passes when they meet each other’s gaze, and Hayner mutters something about grabbing a snack from the food stand, leaving you and the others to stare after him.

Clearly, he and Roxas haven’t made up just yet.

Roxas shakes his head before he turns his attention to you. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I wish I could be competing, though.”

“There’s always next year, right?” Pence offers, but his words are drowned out by screams from the Struggle champion’s entourage. All of you look as Setzer’s crowd of fans gush in excitement as he waves at them. Pence glances at you and Olette as he states, “There’s a lot of girls crazy about Setzer. Why is that?”

Olette shrugs. “Don’t ask me.”

You glance over at Roxas. “Yeah, I already have someone I’m interested in.”

Roxas seems to have heard you as you see a smile tug the corner of his lips. Though, Pence and Olette seem to have heard as well as the two embarrassingly start to tease you. Luckily, the mayor goes onstage to announce the finalists: Seifer, Vivi, Hayner, and Roxas.

“I gotta go. Wish me luck,” he says as all finalists are to report by the scoreboard.

“You got this!” you tell him while Pence and Olette cheer him on as well.

“Who’re you gonna root for?” Pence asks curiously.

Without hesitation, Olette answers, “Both of them, silly.”

Hearing that makes you feel a bit envious, but you offer to grab something at the food stand while waiting for the finals to begin. Pence and Olette shout their thanks and saves a spot for you near the front of the stage, and while you contemplate what to order, you’re surprised to see the reigning champion himself stand beside you.

“I’m surprised that you’re not among the finalists,” Setzer comments, which surprises you. You didn’t even think you were on his radar. “You’d make a more interesting opponent than any of those boys.”

You glance back at them and smile proudly. “Hayner or Roxas will take your title for Struggle Champion. Just you watch.”

“How much are you willing to bet?”

“What?”

“Let’s make a gamble. Should one of your friends face me for the title match and win, then I shall allow you to continue your silly infatuation with the Nobody.”

Your brows furrow, not sure what he even means by that. “And if they lose?”

He glances down at you -- and for a moment, you swear his voice sounded different as he states, “Consider yourself on probation.”

-*-

_ “What do you make of Ventus?” _

_ “He ain’t gonna cut it,” the boy with the helmet answers Master Xehanort. “Somebody’s gotta break that loser in.” _

_ “Not here, you won’t,” Master Xehanort warns him. “I have to keep up appearances.” _

_ “I know that.” The boy puts on his helmet and picks you up. You’re still trembling at the monsters he threatens to go after you if you run away or draw attention to him. “He just needs a little incentive to leave home.” _

-*-

“Man, now I don’t know who to root for,” Pence sighs as it so happens that Hayner and Roxas are facing against each other. He nudges your side and teases, “I bet you’re cheering for Roxas.”

“ _ And _ Hayner.” you correct with a laugh, not wanting to be dragged into it. Apparently, you’re already betting enough on whoever wins this round to face Setzer. You didn’t actually agree on anything, but the way he looks at you from the other side of the stage makes you think he’s already made up his mind on … whatever that bet is about.

The rules of the game are simple: knock off your opponents balls before time runs out. Whoever collects the most balls at the end of the round is declared the winner. On the stage, Roxas and Hayner are dressed in black, padded gear on their chest and helmets, but Roxas’ colors are blue and Hayner’s is red.

Their match begins, but neither of them make the first move. Until Hayner slams his club against Roxas and knocks off some of the balls from his padded armor. They’re both shouting at each other, and while you can barely hear them, you catch the way Hayner grins.

“Looks like they’ve made up,” Olette states happily.

“That’s a relief!” Pence agrees.

As Hayner and Roxas fight fiercely, the three of you get really into it, cheering them both on as loudly as you could. It’s over when Roxas delivers the finishing blow and knocks Hayner off his feet.

“And the winner is Roxas!” the announcer shouts, grabbing Roxas’ wrist and holding it in the air. Roxas waves at the crowd, and his smile widens when he catches your eye. Hayner gracefully accepts his defeat as Roxas helps him up, and you can’t help but smile as the two start to play around.

“You guys did great!” Olette compliments as they joined you guys, handing each of them a bottle of water. 

“Man, who would’ve thought Vivi would make it to the finals?” Pence remarks as the next match begins. You and Roxas look over at the stage, surprised to see Vivi already there. You feel his eyes on you from across the stage. Under his hat, his eyes are hard to see … but they’re glowing.

A chill runs up your spine when he chuckles.

Dark. Evil.

It reminds you of a boy … but he has a helmet. You remember his name too. A name that belongs to someone deep in your memories.

_ Vanitas _ .

-*-

_ Bells toll throughout the Land of Departure, signaling a meeting with Master Eraqus. Ventus steps out of his room and heads to yours, and freezes when he sees that you’re not alone. _

_ “What the-- who are you? Put Haruna down!” _

_ The boy in dark clothing and a helmet ignores him as he holds you hostage in his arms. “Better hurry, Ventus. Or Terra will leave without you.” _

_ Ventus glances between you two, hesitant to attack on the chance that he might hurt you. “What? Get real. I can see Terra anytime I want.” _

_ “Like right now?” Vanitas questions. “He’s leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up, he’ll be a different person.” _

_ “Look -- whoever you are -- you don’t know the first thing about Terra,” Ven states angrily. “And I told you to let her go.” _

_ “Why? The brat and I are just getting acquainted.” He pinches your cheek roughly. _

_ Ven’s weapon is at his hand. “You trying to pick a fight or what?” _

_ “Oh, grow up,” he snaps. “Is that what you call friendship? You’ll never know the truth unless you go out and look for it yourself. Come on, what could you possibly know when you’re stuck here, looking at nothing but your tiny world?” _

_ While he talks to Ven, you bite his finger as hard as you can. Vanitas finally drops you, yanking his hand back as curses fall from his lips. You run to Ventus, and as soon as he has you safely in his arms, he stands up to face the intruder. _

_ Only to find that the boy has vanished. _

-*-

Something’s off about the fight.

Seifer’s uneasy look speaks volumes as he blocks an onslaught of vicious attacks from his opponent. There isn’t much that shakes the Committee leader, but the assaults and bloodlust is … unlike his friend.

Unexpectedly, Vivi finishes the match within minutes and his victory stuns the whole audience. As Seifer gets off the stage, you notice his face is grim.

“Seifer…?” you begin tentatively as he passes by.

His eyes flash angrily and his voice is low. “That’s not Vivi.”

“Huh?”

As he passes, he tells Roxas to thrash him and heads toward the Back Alley. Roxas’ match is about to begin … but perhaps Seifer knows something you and Roxas don’t.

“I’ll be back.”

Roxas looks surprised. “Now? You’ll miss my match!”

“I know. I feel bad.” But this is important. You wish him luck as they call up the next fighters and brush your lips against his cheek once. And while your face is close to his, you whisper, “Be careful. Please.”

Roxas is stunned, but you don’t have time to explain. You watch as he steps back on the stage, wearily looking at Vivi who chuckles darkly as they face each other. Then, you quietly exit the Sandlot to find Seifer.

Luckily, he and his group didn’t wander far. By the Usual Spot, you see the trio trying to cool off from the unexpected loss.

“What’re you looking at, brat?” Seifer echoes. The greeting brings an uneasy nostalgia you can’t quite place.

You try to push the feeling aside. “Can we talk? Alone.”

“Anything ya wanna say to Seifer, ya gotta say in front of us, y’know,” Rai answers as Fuu and Seifer nod, leaving you no choice in the matter.

Shaking your head, you sigh and begin. “You’ve noticed them too, right?”

“Notice what?”

“Those things in white. The one that stole photos around town,” you pause for a moment and add, “the one pretending to be Vivi.”

His eyes widen slightly, but Rai quickly cuts in. “Stop botherin’ Seifer, y’know!”

“Leave,” Fuu adds, glaring at you with spite.

“Rai, Fuu. Take a hike. I’ll handle this,” Seifer commands. They linger hesitantly, and the intensity of their glares make your stomach churn. As they silently take their leave, Seifer crosses his arms and keeps his voice low. “What do you know about those things?”

“Nothing,” you answer grimly. “Just that they’re causing weird things to happen to the town -- to Roxas. I was hoping you’d keep an eye out.”

“Huh, so that’s how it is,” he grumbles. “That twerp Hayner already asked for my help with his stupid investigation last night. Your friends came up with a bunch of weird conspiracies and wanted to get the whole town involved.”

“Hayner did that?” you ask, surprised. It must’ve been when you met up with Roxas at the clock-tower.

“I thought about it. Wasn’t interested. But now … well, you saw that thing pretending to be Vivi.” He uncrosses his arms and peers at you curiously. “What’s that chicken-wuss worth to you anyway?”

“Roxas? Everything.” There’s absolutely nothing you wouldn’t risk for him.

Seifer scoffs. “You like him that much, huh.”

“Yeah, I do,” you admit, not sure if he’s insulting you or not.

He shakes his head and smirks. “Well, if you really care about him that much, I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

You smile at that. “Thanks, Seifer.”

“Don’t tell the town we’re friends now, ya hear?”

-*-

_ Ventus makes it to the courtyard, catching Terra as he embarks away from the Land of Departure. He shouts out his name, but Terra can’t hear him, and Ven is just about armor up when he realizes you chased after him. _

_ “Don’t leave me,” you plead tearfully, holding onto him as tightly. _

_ “Haruna, you’ll be safer if you stay here with Aqua and Master Eraqus,” he tells you, petting your head. _

_ “What if he comes back?” _

_ He stops, and perhaps in that moment, he realizes that Vanitas could easily take you. “It’ll be dangerous … but I told you as long as I have this, I promised I’ll protect you, right?” He draws his weapon to his hand and stares at it for a moment, seeming to make up his mind. “Okay, we’ll go together and tell Terra to come home.” _

_ “I can go?” _

_ He kneels before you and pets your head. “Yeah, I’ll be in big trouble but … there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.” _

-*-

An uneasiness follows you to the Sandlot. Time is frozen again; the stilled faces of your friends and neighbors, the stifling and suffocating silence. Your town -- or whatever  _ this _ place is -- is not real. Echos of a stranger with red hair ring in your ears as the undeniable proof lies before you.

None of this is real. Your friends, the town, your home…

Then a voice calls out to you.

“Roxas?”

From the stage, you see his distraught face melt into a look of relief. As you climb on the stage to meet him, you’re not sure who is happier to see the other. He pulls you into a warm embrace, spinning you slightly. “You came back.”

Your heart races. Among all this nothingness, Roxas is here and real.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

As if your voice broke the spell, time resumes around you two. Vivi falls in defeat and everyone is confused as to how you got on the stage. Realizing you’re still wrapped in each others arms, you awkwardly let go of each other and he is declared the winner of the round. You take that moment to sneak off the stage, passing Vivi who seems … back to normal. Real. And utterly confused as to what just happened.

“What was that?” Hayner immediately asks once you join them, but you’re not sure what to tell him.

Pence grins as he teases, “I think you and Roxas are hiding something from us.”

“Hey, new top Struggler!” Olette greets as Roxas joins you guys as well. He doesn’t seem to hear her though, and you follow his gaze to see him staring at a man in a black coat casually watching you two.

However, a crowd of fans block your view of him as Setzer steps on the stage. Hayner and the others rush Roxas to get onstage too, swearing to cheer louder than any of Setzer’s fans.

Before their battle, the two seem to glance over at you. It’s only then that you vaguely remember that weird gamble Setzer had with himself. Whatever was said, Roxas isn’t having it. Your heart fills with excitement as the two face off.

“Hey, Rucksack. There’s only room for one of us at the top!” Setzer swears vicariously as he raises his Struggle Club. “Allow me to show you the harshness of reality!”

-*-

As the day ends, the giddiness of an underwhelmingly easy match continues to linger. Roxas is the new champion, and you smile as Hayner fastens the ridiculous title belt around him. Not only that, but Roxas also won the Four Crystal trophy.

One by one, he breaks off a marble and tosses a red one at Hayner, a green one at Pence, a yellow one at Olette, and a blue one to you. “As promised.”

“Another treasure for all of us to share!” Hayner proudly remarks as he holds it up to the sunset.

“And it’s all thanks to you, Roxas!” Olette remarks with a smile.

Hayner turns to her and whines, “Hey, I helped too!”

Pence laughs. “Yeah, you got beat in the first match.”

“Shut up!”

You hold yours up as well, watching how the lights rays reflect off the blue marble. It reminds you of ocean waves again the setting sun, of blue skies meeting the horizon, of the vibrant color of Roxas’ eyes whenever he turns his gaze on you.

“What about yours, Roxas?” you ask, realizing there isn’t enough pieces for all of you. He shrugs his shoulders.

“I already have everything I could ask for,” he quietly says as he slips his hand in yours. He grins up at you. “Besides, I had to give  _ you _ something to remember  _ me _ by.”

For a moment, you forgot your friends are even there. At least, until Hayner speaks. “What’s with you two, anyway?”

“Oh.” Roxas holds up your hand in his. “We’re dating.”

The looks on their faces are priceless.

“I  _ knew _ it!” Pence shouts as Olette practically squeals in her excitement.

Hayner stands up in a mix of utter shock. “What? Since _ when _ ?!”

“Yeah, tell us everything!” Pence insists.

“Wait, you guys! I almost forgot, I have a surprise!” Olette announces as she pulls out sea-salt ice cream that’s starting to melt. “Let’s make a toast!”

Between Roxas being the new Struggle Champion, the news of you and Roxas  _ finally _ dating, and Olette’s icings on the cake, the five of you are in high spirits. Roxas stands to get ice cream from Olette, and as he steps on the ledge, it glitches.

As if everything is suddenly in slow-motion, you watch in horror as he loses his balance and falls. You reach out to grab him, but another headache rings and he slips from your fingers.

**_Memory overwrite at 72%_ **

You don’t remember what happened after.

Somehow, you find yourself back in your room. Another day has passed and the blue marble that was in your hand is no longer there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay; it's been a busy weekend lol. I also wanted to give a head's up that the next chapter won't be posted for a while since I'll be traveling! I'm expecting to post the next chapter in mid-May, but for those interested, please check my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/princee_ace) for any updates.
> 
> Question time:  
> 1\. We're about halfway through Haruna's crazy week. Was there a part that stood out to you in this chapter?  
> 2\. I often find myself at war when it comes to small talk; I'm really bad at making and keeping up conversations lol. Is there something that you personally struggle with that you wish to overcome?


	7. The Truth Untold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I know all your warmth is real. I want to hold the hand picking the blue flower.  
> \- BTS feat. Steve Aoki "The Truth Untold, 전하지 못한 진심"

There are still many unanswered questions about this town, its residents, and how you and Roxas are involved. Everything you’ve experienced so far -- from the vivid dreams to the everyday hangouts with your friends -- they feel _real_. So much so that it isn’t until time stops and reality warps when you’re cruelly reminded it’s just a ruse.

Part of you wishes Axel never said anything.

If he hadn’t, would you still be living the rest of your summer vacation in ignorant bliss? Or is it destiny that you’d find out the truth anyway?

As you stand in front of Roxas’ place, it feels like your answer is on the other side.

Waves of emotions hit you at once -- uncertainty, hope, fear -- and you bring yourself to knock on the door. Each pound of your fist against the wooden frame hammers a new question and another sense of doubt.

 _Is this world fake? Are my friends fake?_ Hayner’s promise to reach the finals at the Struggle Tournament, the proud look on Olette’s face when you’ve all worked together to collect enough munny for the beach, Pence’s excitement as he theorizes what the memory thief was after, Roxas kissing you for the first time beneath the warm sunset -- _was that_ **_all_ ** _fake?_

Tears fall, and your knocks weaken. _Even if they are fake, they feel_ **_real_ ** _to me_.

“Hello, Haruna.”

You look up, and suddenly you find yourself sitting at the end of a long table. The walls and every piece of furniture is pearly white, as if all the colors in the room have been sucked away, leaving just a hollow emptiness. A girl in a white dress, with blonde hair and blue eyes, sits across from you at the other end of the table with several crayons and a sketchpad. She looks as if she’s been expecting you.

It takes you a moment, but you realize you’ve seen her before. When you were chasing the stranger in a black coat.

“Naminé?”

Her eyes light up. “You … remember my name!”

“Oh, I…” You stop, unable to recall anything else about this girl. Yet, something about her and this room feels oddly familiar. Like you’ve been here before. “It just came to me.”

She smiles to herself. “I’m glad.”

On the walls are several of her drawings. There’s one of you and your friends in front of the Old Mansion, like that photo the memory thief took from you guys. Another is of you as a little girl, holding hands with a boy with dandelion hair. And one with you in a black coat, carrying a key-shaped weapon you’ve often dreamt about.

Memories and dreams of things you almost remember -- all in display before you. But the one that hits you the most is a drawing of you and Roxas together, posing with his arm around your shoulders and his cheek against your head as you smile and hold up two fingers in a V.

_“It’s my favorite picture of us.”_

“Roxas…” you whisper, your voice shaking as you think about him. The fondness in his smile as he looks down at that photo and comments how it’s his favorite picture too. You think about the two of you together, and how vividly destiny seems to tear you two apart. “Is he…?”

You can’t bring yourself to finish your question. Surely, you couldn’t have just _imagined_ Roxas fell from the tower yesterday … right?

“He’s okay, Haruna,” Naminé assures you gently. “He’s on his way to the Usual Spot.”

“Oh…! Good…” Relief washes over you, overwhelmingly so. You feel a bit embarrassed that you can’t stop crying as you wipe the tears from your eyes. “I was so worried about him.”

Naminé’s expression softens. “He’s lucky to have someone who cares about him so much.”

She seems sad when she says that. Sniffling, you try to regain your composure. “That guy with the red hair -- Axel. He told me he and I used to be friends.”

“You were.”

“Did we use to be friends too?”

“Yes.”

Somehow, you believe that. Even if you don’t remember speaking to this girl before, you feel like you could trust her. “He also said that this town’s a ruse. Is that true? Is any of this real?”

“I … shouldn’t say,” she answers hesitantly. “You already know too much.”

It’s in that moment you realize this may be your only chance to find out the truth. “Naminé, please … You’re the only one who knows what’s going on.”

She pauses, glancing around the white room as nervous someone might overhear you. Then, she stands and walks toward you with her sketchpad in her arms. “I can only tell you under one condition. You must swear to me that what I tell you isn’t repeated to anyone. Not even Roxas.”

“I can’t tell Roxas?”

She shakes her head. “DiZ … isn’t as kind to him as he is to you.”

“Who?”

She doesn’t answer and instead holds out her pinky to you. “Promise me, Haruna.”

“I-I promise.” You wrap your pinky around hers, and you give her your word. “Naminé, who are you?”

“I’m a witch. At least, that’s what I’ve been called.”

“Like you can use magic or something?”

She cracks a small smile. “Magic … I wish I had a better magic. Mine is a power over Sora’s memories and those around him.” She opens her sketchpad and shows you a drawing of a boy with brown hair holding hands with a boy with blond hair and a black coat. “And because Roxas and Sora are connected, I have some power over your memories as well.”

“My memories? Then, all those strange dreams I’ve been having were because of you?”

“In a way, yes.” She flips the page to a drawing of a man in red. “His name is DiZ. This place is his creation, fabricated by your memories. It’s a place meant to keep you and Roxas safe. The town, the people -- all of it programmed to simulate the real world and your real friends. In turn, some of your deepest memories have resurfaced to you in your dreams.”

You frown. “Why mine? What are you keeping us safe from?”

“You’re a key, Haruna,” she tells you, showing you a picture of a group of black coats. “A direct connection to the hearts of people and worlds, and there’s an Organization of bad men who want to unlock that power deep within you. To harvest and use those abilities for their personal gain. They needed to be stopped, so we brought you here, in a world resembling the place you feel safest -- your home.” She closes her sketchpad. “At least, until I can fix the chain of memories I’ve undone.”

Every answer she gives you leads to more questions. “If this Organization is after me, what does Roxas have to do with any of this?”

She hesitates. “If you knew something about someone, would you tell them the truth? About what they really are?”

“Like … how I’m some kind of key?”

“I suppose so.”

“Then, yes. I would probably tell them the truth.”

“What if it’s something bad?”

You pause, thinking about how you felt when Axel told you this town isn’t real. How you feel now that Naminé confirmed these memories are fabricated. And how lonely you’ll be knowing you can’t tell a soul. “Maybe some things are better left unsaid.”

“Then, how would you know what’s right?” she asks, seeming conflicted.

“I guess you gotta ask yourself if you’d want to know if you were in their shoes.”

A chill runs up your spine, and you look behind you to see a portal of Darkness appear. A man in a black coat steps out. “Naminé what are you--”

“Wait, I did it,” she exclaims, holding her hand up to stop him. “I changed her memories, just like DiZ wanted. She’s forgotten everything the intruder told her.”

Although you can’t see his face, you feel his eyes peer between you two beneath his hood. Whether he believes her or not, it doesn’t seem to matter. He turns to leave, but warns, “You better put a good act. He has eyes everywhere.”

-*-

Outside the Usual Spot, you hear Hayner and Olette arguing outside the gate. You’re still trying to wrap your head around all the things Naminé told you as you go inside.

“Haruna, glad you could make it!” Olette greets you rather cheerfully. In her hand is a school book -- something you haven’t bothered to touch all summer break. “We were just discussing what we should do for our independent studies!”

You visibly cringe. Pence laughs at your expression as Hayner points at you. “See! She doesn’t want to do it either! _No one_ does!”

“It still needs to be done!” Olette firmly insists, crossing her arms with a scowl. Hayner groans when he sees there’s no getting around the stupid assignment.

“What’s been keeping you anyway?” Pence asks curiously.

“Oh, um, I--”

“What did I miss?” a voice interrupts from behind you.

When you turn around, Roxas is there with a bag of sea-salt ice cream. Pence cries out with joy and completely drops his question, taking the bag from Roxas and distributing the frozen treats around. Hayner is relieved for the distraction and bides his time with his ice cream, insisting he needs the sugar to get through the assignment. Olette sighs and shakes her head, but even she can’t seem to resist the surprise.

Roxas laughs as he watches your friends scramble to their spots to enjoy the treats. Seeing him before you, _there_ , within reach -- you couldn’t help yourself.

He nearly stumbles backward when you suddenly hug him. Your heart feels heavy with the burden of keeping secrets from him, but for a moment, as he wraps his arms around you, you could feel those worries melt away. “What’s this about?”

“No reason.” You reluctantly let him go. “Thanks for the ice cream.”

“It’s just ice cream, Haruna.”

You shrug. “Who else will I eat ice cream with?”

The two of you join the others, throwing out ideas for the assignment. Long after the ice creams are finished, you and your friends still can’t agree on anything.

“There’s a strange rumor going around,” Pence mentions after a while. “You know the stone steps at Sunset Station? We use ‘em all the time without even thinking about it. But -- and this is the weird part -- the steps count differently going up and down!”

Hayner is floored. “Seriously?!”

Pence nods his head. “And there are six other weird stories like that. It’s like the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town.”

“We should investigate _those_ for our school project! Pence, you’re a _genius_!”

“There might be other rumors going around, too. Let’s split up and look into it!” Pence suggests. “I’m gonna look for the seven wonders.”

“Okay! The girls and I will find some new rumors!” Hayner announces, tossing his ice cream stick in the trash. He begins to run out the gate. “C’mon!”

“Hayner, slow down!” Olette yells after him, hastily grabbing her notes and books in her arms.

Pence laughs. “That just leaves you and me, Roxas. Unless you want to come with us, Haruna?”

“I should probably help Olette with Hayner,” you decide, standing up from the couch as well. It’ll be easier to hide your guilt if you’re not around him as much today.

However, as you pass by him, Roxas reaches out to touch you. “Hey, let’s catch up later, okay?”

Roxas seems to have a lot of his own questions, and you feel bad. “Yeah, sure.”

You pretend you didn’t see the curious way he looks at you as you leave.

-*-

As you look around Market Street, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Shopkeepers are busy maintaining their stores, kids are running around and enjoying their break from school, and a trolly full of passengers slowly drives past you. The same town and the same skies, yet it now feels unsettling. Is it because you know what this place really is?

“Good morning, Haruna. We heard about your investigation tomorrow.”

Jesse from the Accessory Shop startles you as she, Wallace from the Item Shop, and Auntie Elmyra from the Candy Shop all approach you.

“Investigation?” you question.

“Seifer told us about the guys in the white suits who’ve been stealing stuff around town,” Wallace explains, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry for accusing your boyfriend of being a thief.”

“We’ll do whatever we can to help,” Jesse adds with a smile. “The mayor wants everyone to be involved.”

“Really? Seifer did that?”

“Hayner’s the one who started asking for everyone’s help when he returned our missing photos,” Wallace continues. “I admit, I was skeptical about it at first until Seifer backed him up and even brought it up to the mayor after yesterday’s Struggle Tournament. Now, everyone wants to keep the town safe from those intruders.”

“Thank you,” you murmur gratefully, glad that Hayner and Seifer pulled through. Seconds later, you flinch when a loud ringing echoes in your ears. You double-over in pain, catching a glimpse of the townsfolk and their blank faces.

**_Memory overwrite at 76%_ **

**_“It might not make sense to you now,”_ ** _Aqua’s voice echos as images of an enchanted woods with a house made for tiny men, the view of a palace from a bedside window as a clock strikes twelve, and a beautiful princess in a deep sleep flash through your mind,_ **_“but one day, you’ll discover beautiful, wonderful things to hold dear. Magical and all.”_ **

_You’re suddenly in the white room with Naminé. This time, you’re sitting next to her and wearing a black coat. You can’t hear your words, but by your gestures and expressions, you seem to be telling her a story. You’re both laughing once you’re done, and you realize you really were friends with her before._ ** _“A great power lies within you,”_** _she says as she draws, pausing to look at you. Her voice is mixed with someone else’s, and slowly,_ _everything around you changes and expands. You’re now standing in the middle of a white chamber with strange symbols on the wall. A faded Master Eraqus faces you and finishes,_ ** _“Always remember, where there is Darkness, there will always be Light.”_** _Behind him, sleeping on the throne, you see--_

 **_“My friends are important to me.”_ ** _Ventus closely trails behind you, watching as you run around a town full of color, games, and festivities._ **_“I’d do anything to protect them.”_ ** _As he hands you an ice cream sundae after winning one of the festival games, it changes to sea-salt ice cream when you hold it. And Roxas in a black coat sits next to you in the tower with his own._

 _A drop of rain hits you, drawing your attention to the dark skies. The city’s lights glow dimly at the now pouring rain, and above it all is a heart-shaped moon. Waves of conflicting emotions hit you at once as you gaze upon the collection of lights, and in the corner of your eye, you see shadowy creatures from your dreams appear and take notice of you. Terra’s voice rings in this time._ ** _“A weapon isn’t used to harm people, but to protect yourself and those you cherish.”_** _Someone vanishes the creatures before you have a chance to. Two key-shaped weapons, one of Light and one of Darkness. He turns to face you, but your focus is on the person approaching you. Silver hair and a blindfold._ ** _“One day, you’ll be strong enough to do that.”_** _Your hand glows as your own weapon is summoned to your side._

 _A warm hand touches your neck, and Roxas leans down to kiss you. The sunset from the hill is breathtaking as you close your eyes and relive your most precious memory._ ** _“He’s leaving you behind.”_** _Of all the voices, Vanitas is the clearest. You pull away, and you see Roxas -- your best friend, your boyfriend -- dressed in neutral colors as he grins at you. Everything around him starts to fade away, and you’re now at an arena with several hooded men gazing down at you from the stands. Across from you is Roxas -- a stranger, a member of this Organization -- dressed in a black coat as he faces against you with a key-shaped weapon._ ** _“By the time you catch up, he’ll be a different person.”_** _He raises his weapon against you and strikes._

**_Memory overwrite at 81%_ **

“Were you able to find anything?” Hayner asks, suddenly next to you. You’re back at Market Street and everything is back to normal. He and Olette look surprised when they see the pain in your eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“No, I-I didn’t find anything,” you manage to tell them, trying to compose yourself. The ringing is starting to fade a little, but the pain is still lingering slightly.

“Maybe Roxas and Pence found something. Let’s head to the station,” Olette suggests, and Hayner nods his head. You linger behind them, staring down at your hand and wondering if Roxas is remembering things as vividly as you are.

-*-

“I don’t know how following us around is going to help you find any new rumors,” Roxas teases as you and the others board the train. You backtrack and poke your head out the train door to make a face at him.

“We couldn’t find anything at Market Street,” Hayner corrects as he slumps into an empty seat. He swipes his nose and those the two a challenging look. “You twerps aren’t gonna scoop us. We’re going to the Terrace with you.”

“Hayner,” Olette warns from across him. “It’s not a race!”

“Well, it is now!”

Pence throws his hands behind his head and grins. “Uh-huh. Sure.”

“C’mon, we can all go.” Roxas laughs as the rest of you follow suit, taking whatever space is available. The four of you are sitting apart, but you manage to save the empty seat next to you for Roxas.

It’s a relatively short trip from this station to the terrace, but the familiar rumble of the train moving along the tracks makes you drowsy. Roxas and the others quietly stare out the windows, and you watch as Olette pulls out her yellow crystal from her pocket.

“It’s so pretty,” she says as she holds it up against the low sunlight, watching it sparkle. The others take theirs out as well; all the crystals glistening in their respective colors.

You and Roxas exchange looks and grins as you reach into your pocket … only to find that it isn’t with you. _When did I lose it?_

“Roxas, I don’t…” you begin, feeling absolutely terrible when you see the sad look on his face. However, his expression changes when he realizes something and starts checking his pockets. He even stands up to check his back pockets and frowns when he isn’t able to find what he’s looking for.

“Mine’s gone too. Just like the other photos and Olette’s pouch.”

Your heart sinks when you realize he’s talking about the photo you took together.

He sits back down with a heavy sigh and slumps forward. You rub his back reassuringly. “There’s been a lot of weird things happening lately.”

“Tell me about it…” he groans, and after a moment, he sits upright. “Actually, that’s what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. You … see it happening too, right? It’s like everything around us is just … data.”

**_“You better put up a good act.”_ **

You feel a chill run up your spine as it feels like every passenger on the train has their eyes on your back, silently listening. You can’t even hear the rumbles of the train anymore. “Data? What do you mean?”

“Yesterday, I fell off the clock tower,” he says and you visibly flinch when you recall exactly what he’s talking about. “I’m sure that’s what happened. Yet … when I woke up this morning, I was fine. Like, it was all some kind of dream. But I _know_ it wasn’t one.”

“You wouldn’t be here if you did,” you reason quietly.

“But it _did_ happen.” He gauges your expression and asks, “You remember that, right?”

**_“He has eyes everywhere.”_ **

“I … don’t remember,” you lie.

Roxas frowns. Clearly, he’s not buying it. “What’s gotten into you?”

The train pulls to a stop and Roxas immediately stands up. He exits the train without looking back, and you stare after him, feeling conflicted.

**_“DiZ … isn’t as kind to him as he is to you.”_ **

You and Roxas have been experiencing similar things all week but … what did Naminé when she said that?

“C’mon, Haruna! Hurry!” Hayner urges, grabbing your arm and pulling you out of your seat. He drags you along as Olette tries to keep up with you, yelling back at him that this isn’t a race.

The three of you pass Roxas as he talks to Pence about the first mystery, and you can’t help but look back at him. Again, the guilt eats up at you, and you wonder if things really are better left unsaid after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from traveling, and no longer jet-lagged lmao. Thanks everyone for your patience.  
> I haven't been writing as much as I like these days, but I'm hoping I can get back on schedule.
> 
> Question Time:  
> 1\. What was your favorite part?  
> 2\. Have you ever been in a situation where something that was happening that didn't feel real?

**Author's Note:**

> I first wrote this story over a decade ago on a site called Quizilla, then revamped it a couple times on Lunaecence and my Tumblr accounts. And now, after finally playing and beating KH3, I’ve decided to write this story again and post it on here!
> 
> This story primarily takes place during Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days but it also has some spoilers for Birth by Sleep, Chain of Memories, and a tiny bit of Union X and Kingdom Hearts III. I’ve also used dialogue from the game, manga, and novels. Haruna is my OC and my baby, and the Kingdom Hearts story-line is Nomura’s.
> 
> Whether you’re reading this for the first time or if you’ve been following my writing career since ages ago, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!


End file.
